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What is up, fellows thermonuclear A
efforts. I am Dan Valley coming at

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you with another twenty twenty three,
twenty twenty four NBA look Ahead. We're

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onto the Toronto Raptors and that means
I must, I have to and I'm

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excited to speak with Amon Aden of
Yahoo Sports Canada does a fantastic job covering

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the Toronto Raptors and talking about the
entire league at large. The question we

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have to begin with Amon, how
the heck are You're doing? Good?

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Good? Thank you? How are
you? I am mortified at probably some

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of the takes I delivered with you
about the Raptors on this podcast last year.

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I was going through and I was
like, oh, that was a

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favorite dream. You know, vibes
are high. Also, I would be

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remissive I did not plug Pros and
Clause, which is a new stub sack

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that I have coming out with us, and so please check that out as

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well. You'll find lots of our
writings there, a lot more of my

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NBA at Large stuff will be will
be at sub stack pros and Clause,

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pros and claus pros and it pros
like like pros like and then clause because

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you know, we're so punny,
like a raptor claw Joe. I'll put

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the link to that in the podcast
YouTube descriptions and so people can go subscribe

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to that is when it is running. I had. The last thing I

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did was a Damian Lillar piece because
the NBA decided to go really really quiet

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outside of KPJ stuff, which I
did not want to write about because it's

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just anchor on a page. And
uh yeah, so more stuff will come

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out. I have a CP CP
three goal and stay Warriors thing that I'm

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working on right now that's not going
to be divisive at all because I really

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like it. I really like so
on board some Warriors fans. I'm sorry,

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but yeah, yeah. My co
host is a Warriors fan and he's

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on board with the move, and
so he's I'm pretty sure he's been exo

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communicated from the Warriors fan base.
I'm just unfairly certain. I love I

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love it. Like imagine if you're
like you don't need to have just Draymond

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run pick and roll a ton when
he just can't shoot anymore and teams just

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don't trust him. Imagine if you
had the best pick and roll guard in

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basketball. Uh there as well,
so step doesn't just need to be a

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screener. Draymond gets at the screens. I'm sorry, I'm ruining my piece.

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We're taught here to talk raptors,
We're not here to talk on State

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Warriors. But yeah, yeah,
so let's let's talk Toronto Raptors. I

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wanted to start with last season and
the disappointment it was. It was clearly

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a confluence of stuff when you look
at We've heard the reports about what was

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going on with Nick Nurse behind the
scenes. You had topsy turvy shooting from

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FEV, regression from GTJ. I
think they also probably we're hoping for bigger

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leaps from Scottie Barnes and Precious Sichua, who speaking of being mortified, I

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told you I picked him for my
most improved player on this podcast last year.

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That selection did not pan out so
well. Was there like a bigger

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factor more than anything else that contributed
to last season. Was it just roster

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constructing, Like what stood out the
most to you about that year's team?

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Yeah, it was. It was
a lot of things. I mean,

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I tried to talk Warriors already,
and I try to really make this pod

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about Canada basketball anything to talk about
that rafter seam last year, but their

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defense was atrocious, which is something
that you know, we got on this

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pod here last year. We were
like, hey, they're going to be

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good defensively. You know, in
the second half of that twenty twenty one

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season they finished top three in the
second half of that season. Defensively,

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you would expect that a team that
has a bunch of six nine guys with

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seven long, seven feet long wingspan
would be a good defensive team. And

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that's just not what we saw at
all last year. And that has to

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do with some of the behind the
scenes stuff with me Nurse. I'm shore

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that has to do with some of
the regression that guys took. So so

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it is just sort of all of
those things compounding into one main issue.

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But when you look at that Raptors
team, I think the lack of defense

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really speaks to that team's identity.
It was very clear that they were checked

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out. You have Nick Nurse making
having a press conference in Philadelphia, which

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just happens to be the team that
he now coaches, basically being like,

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yeah, ten years, this is
a long time with the team. Yeah,

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maybe looking back at this and kind
of it was it felt like an

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end of season presser in the middle
of the season one. Your team is

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fighting for a playoff spot and it
just so happens to be the city that

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you now coach at a lot of
coincidences, but yeah, so I think

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you just had a lot of guys
really check out and defense. Defense would

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be their primary issue. Five en
leap shooting going down. Yes, I

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think not taking that leap from past
sorry from Scottie Barnes and Freshisachua. Sure,

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that's big, but I think even
when we talked about it last year,

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we were like, they're kind of
superfluous, a little bit like if

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they take that leap, that's the
cherry on top. But the bones of

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this team is already so good.
With Feddan Fleet coming off of an All

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Star season, Pascal Siakam coming off
of an All NBA season. We know

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what og n and Obi was and
he is not anyone who disappointed last year.

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He's he's not the guy that you
look at. So you're looking at

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the bones of this team, You're
like, that's a good team. You

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add in Scotty, you add in
Precious, and as long as they don't

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regress, everything should be fine,
but not only do they not take that

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next step. I'm not sure that
they had better seasons, and they definitely

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did not have better seasons than they
had the season prior, and I think

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that that matters, But it doesn't
fall on them, It falls on the

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entire team. Defensively, everybody was
checked out, and part of that is

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roster construction. It took so long
for the Raptors to finally get a rim

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protector, but I think part of
that is because they proved the year before

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that they can do it without one, but none of them had to buy

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in that they had the season prior, and everything just started to crumble and

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it was all bad. It was
a bad year. You had mentioned to

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the defense, and so they hired
dark Oroyakovich, and he's talked a lot,

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I think about protecting the rim and
contesting threes or limiting threes. Do

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you expect them under him to change
the principles of their defense, which over

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the past few years has just been
super aggressive, like, let's force turnovers,

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that's going to drive our offense in
transition? Do you expect to see

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any changes there, maybe a more
conservative approach from them under him. Yeah,

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definitely, And I think that Nick
Nurse kind of gets a lot of

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the blame for the way that the
Raptors played defense because it was this ultra

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aggressive style. But he also had
a team that didn't have a center and

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had a bunch of six nine guys
with seven few wings ben So the way

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to take away the rim is to
have a bunch of guys you know you're

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not you're giving up those corner threes
because you expect guys to be able to

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rotate back and then rotate back to
the rim because they're so long. They

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are just they're able to beat their
man at any given time. But that

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takes so much out of guys,
and I think that that was under calculated

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by the team. But now that
they have Yaka Podle, who is a

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great rim protector, we saw what
the numbers look like. When yak of

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Perodle came into the phrase, the
defense skyrocketed. It was so much better,

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and the defense also looked good with
Christian Coloko at the five, they

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just needed a center. They needed
to have that guy. So now that

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Darko has that, I do think
they'll play a more conservative style of defense,

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and I think a lot of people
are going to credit him for that

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and kind of knock Nick Nurse because
they did not do that hardwood, knock

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Nick Nurse because they didn't do that. But I don't think that's completely fair,

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just because Nick Nurse had a roster
that did not have that guy and

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Darko will And to your point,
they were six and I was someone who

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kind of criticized the Acapeurtle trade,
but they were six then points lab per

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possession after the trade deadline, so
we'll see if that sticks. And the

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other thing to Nick Nurse's credit,
I know people make fun of the minutes

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he played his key players, but
when you don't really have a trustworthy bench,

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I don't know what else you're supposed
to do, and I don't know

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how much better that team gets.
And I'm also wondering with the style he

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wanted to play defensively, if you
don't have the depth of talents like kind

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of spread those minutes about, if
it just gets hard to sustain over not

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just a season, but multiple seasons. Yeah, I think that's exactly what

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we saw. No, no,
I was gonna say that's exactly what we

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saw. Fred van Fleet. I
didn't start with him, probably should have.

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I was actually surprised at least per
Raptors fans in our YouTube comments who

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were pretty aggressive by saying there were
some that said Fred van Fleet was going

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to be additioned by subtraction like type
of stuff. Where did you sort of

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land on that where you surprised it
played out the way it did? Is

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he actually this huge loss? As
people, you know, these people that

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are thirty thousand feet away, like
myself, think he's a monster loss.

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Where does you just sort of land
on how that entire situation played out?

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Yeah, I'm definitely in the minority
of Raptor fans in that I think it

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is a huge loss. I think
this is the biggest blender of the Raptors

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front office tenure. A lot of
people talk about their lack of asset management,

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and you know that they've lost pretty
much everyone from the championship roster for

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nothing back in return, except for
Pascal siakam oh g of course, but

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he wasn't playing in the playoffs at
the very least, And I don't vaute

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them for that. Like Kyle Lowry, you do a favor for your greatest,

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the greatest Raptor of all time.
He did not want to be traded

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mid season. He wanted to go
to Miami, and you're doing the greatest

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player in your franchise history who just
helped you win a championship a favor you

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do that. Kauai didn't want to
be here, always wanted to be in

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La win a championship. You let
him go. You knew that that was

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a risk, and that is when
you do ten times out of ten,

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Marcus Soul, Sergeibaka, those were
not guys that you were giving their next

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contract too. Would not have made
sense. They did not offer them anything

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because they did not want them back, and so frequently it is the one

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guy who they wanted back. I
mean, everyone's been talking about what direction

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are the Raptors going in? Who
knows what they want to do? And

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they told us time and time again
exactly what they want to do, which

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is run it back. They got
last season didn't work for a number of

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reasons, coaching being one of them, defense being another because you didn't have

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a Ram protector. They looked at
last season and thought, Okay, well,

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if we fix these issues which we
have, they should be a much

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better team next season. That's what
they continuously told us, Except the decision

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wasn't theirs to make for VanVleet was
a free agent and Houston gave him the

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bag. Not something that you could
have foresaw going in to the off season,

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certainly like them getting em Udoka and
not giving Harden the money that we

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all thought that they would and instead
giving it to Dylan Brooks and Fried Van

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Bleet. But that's where you're left
with, and so to me, it

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was the biggest bunder of the front
office and it's a huge loss for the

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Raptors. The idea that it could
be additioned by subtraction for a team that

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has no shooting no matter, no
matter what you do, you want to

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build a team around either Scotty Barnes's, Pascal Siakam or both of them.

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The one thing that either one of
them will need, both of them will

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need is shooting, and Feathermvleet was
your best shooter. Even though he had

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a bad shooting year last year,
his career tells us that he's the best

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shooter. And even though those shots
weren't going in, he's the only one

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being guarded out there with relative consistency
right, which is a lot of what

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floor spacing is. He's also the
team's only pull up three point shot,

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which is going to be a huge
issue on this team this season. That

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the fact that they have no pull
up shooter. And I know that.

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You know the reason why people say
it's additioned by subtraction is everyone wants the

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ball in Scottie Barnes's hands and wants
Scottie Barnes to have more, you know,

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point guard reps. But hey,
even if you do that, guess

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what he needs next to him,
the catch and shoot guy, and he

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answer, Your best catch and shoop
guy was by the numbers every single year,

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Fred VanVleet. So there's no scenario
where, in my opinion, where

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it is additioned by subtraction. He
was also a great leader, But people

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just want the usage to be spread
out more and I get that, But

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to me, I don't know that
Fred VanVleet had the ball in his hands

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because he's the selfish player who doesn't
know how to play off ball. He

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played off ball, he played alongside
Kyle Lowry. He's been doing this his

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entire career, right like he knows
how to do that. It's that they

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didn't have a better option, and
I think that that's something that people have

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not yet come around too, because
they don't want to believe it to be

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true. But the numbers bear it
out. There was no better option than

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Fred van Bleet on ball, and
so that's what the Raptors had to do.

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You look at it post yak Of
trade, the best sort of offense

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that you got was the pick and
roll between yak Of and Freed. It's

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funny as his pick and roll big, but now you don't have a pick

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and roll guard because nobody's a pull
up shooter on the team. But there's

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there's no there's like no balance here. Losing five Van Lead is an entire

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blender. They have not made it
up. I you know, we talked

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about FIBA a lot. Shout outs
to Dennis Shoulder for winning FIBA MVP,

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but he's also not a pull up
threat, and I think that's gonna really

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really matter this season. So in
my opinion, there is no scenario.

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There's no world. We're losing five
Van Leaders addition by subtraction. Even if

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you want five Lead, sorry Scottie
Barnes, to take that next step and

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be your point guard, you still
need shooting around him. You still still

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need a secondary ball handler. At
best. And I don't know that you

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can have all of your ball handlers
on the team, whether it's Pascal,

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Scottie or Dennis Shoulder, not be
pull up threats and not be a recipe

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for success. That's just what team
has had that happen and it be success.

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I can't think of one, right. I was actually surprised with a

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lot of the criticism that we got
when we were talking about this over the

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off season was that we don't watch
Raptors games. Obviously, that's that's that's

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criticism number one. Because he was
a ballhog and he was selfish, and

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it was just like you look at
the options they had and just like they

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were in the eighth percent tile of
half court efficiency when when Pascal og and

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Scotty played without van Fleet, like
that's war like their half court ofference was

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bad and they got a lot worse
without Van Fleet. And so I was

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just I thought maybe the number took
some people back, and there were people

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I talked about about the luxury tax, and I'm like, look, it

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was a two year max. It's
a three year deal, but it was

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a two year max. You can
get out of it and figure, I'm

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team figure out the rest later,
like you pay this man, and if

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you need to cut salary elsewhere,
like you just pay you figure it out

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later. That's that's where I'm at. The number scared me. I'm not

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gonna lie. The number scared me. And for that number, if you're

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not going to pay him, that
sure. But also, the Raptors walked

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into last off season with three guys
who were unrestricted free agents, and I'm

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sorry, Like, yeah, tampering
rules and all of that, but if

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you're not having conversations with your guys, if you're not gauging where they are

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and whether or not they want to
come, I think you sort of make

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deals and you make moves. But
they didn't want to do that because they

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wanted to see what this team would
look like together. I personally think there's

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like the Ballhogs and the shot.
There's a lot of conversation about like,

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oh, look at the shots that
he took, and it's like, you

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need a pull up shooting. You
need a guy who can space the floor

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even if it doesn't go in,
even if you think it's a bad shot.

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You need to keep defenses honest,
and right now, the Raptors don't

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have a guy that can reliably do
that, and we've seen that it's it's

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just it's not gonna work. And
Fred VanVleet had a bad season last year

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shooting like that was his worst season
shooting, and he took a step back

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defensively as well. That was not
you know, that's not all star Fred

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VanVleet. And I think if you
were paying Fred van Vleet long term,

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you're or for the next two three
years. Let's say your ideas that you're

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not going to get this version of
Fred VanVleet last season that struggles, you're

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wanting to get this season before the
seasons before that, what we've known him

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to be, not this bad year
where he's clearly dealing with back stuff and

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playing like thirty eight minutes at night
on a team that's not winning any games.

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You're expecting more. And yeah,
I think people just really, really

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really want to see that next step
from Scottie Barnes. And it was clear

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that Fred VanVleet in his usage is
in the way. And so that's I

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think where that sentiment comes from.
But as someone who just wants to see

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this team win, I think giving
up a player like five m Leet for

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nothing is not great. Yeah,
And I mean you made the point you

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didn't want to pay him, and
there should have been something that was addressed,

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like at the trade deadline if you'd
like, so you should have bet

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a their pulse. So you lose
Spreadman Fleet, but you resign yaka Peardle,

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you hire, you get rid of
Nick Nurse, you hire a first

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time NBA head coach. Just I
know this is probably too existential, but

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like, what is this team's direction? Then it seems like they're sending all

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these mixed messages and on top of
everything, by the way, like OG

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is going to be a free agent
as an extension eligible did over Pascal Siakam

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00:15:56,799 --> 00:16:00,960
who's been Both those guys have been
like kind of trade rumors. The Oakham's

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trade rumor mill has been hotter than
Ogs this summer. I would say,

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like what is does this team not
have an idea of what it is?

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Yet? Like am I am I
too far moved from the situation? Do

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they have a pulse? And I
just I don't see it, Like what

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is what is their direction? Yeah? I think I think all of last

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season and even heading into July first, I'm like, why is everyone asking

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this question. They've told us,
like every time you get them in front

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of a microphone, they're telling us, run it back. We like this

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team, we like this corp.
We think Scotty can take the next step

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and fit in with this team.
Right, and then you lose frivem Bleed

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and it's like, Okay, what
is your direction? Because you're walking into

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next season with Pascal as you mentioned, and og as you mentioned, and

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Gary Trent Junior as well, who
you know exercises player option is now going

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to be expiring. So you have
three of your top six players once again

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expiring. What is your plan?
You don't have a pick either, And

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I think I think if you gave
them a little truth, here's what I

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think it is. And I've been
thinking a lot about this. I think

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if you give them true serum,
they're gonna be like But I think it

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really depends on the next step that
Scotti takes. I think a lot of

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the answers to this question fall on
Scotty Barnes, right, So if Scotty

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Barnes takes that next leap, and
if we're talking about Scotty Barnes in his

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third year, you know, Pascal
Siakam was the second leading scorer on a

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championship team in his third year after
being a bench player of the year before.

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Guys in their third year can take
that leap. And I'm not saying

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that he needs to be that good
right away, but if he's if we're

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seeing a progression, if we're seeing
that next leap from Scottie Barnes, then

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I think keep pascalic. Why wouldn't
you do? Like, if Scotty looks

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like he's ready to win now,
then Pascal is ready to win. Now.

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We're not talking about them being on
two separate timelines. You have guys

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that are ready to win now,
you bring in a bunch of shooting around

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them, and you reconstruct this roster
around were two guys. If Scotti takes

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that next step now, if Scotty
doesn't still early year three doesn't mean that

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he's not going to take that next
step eventually. But if he doesn't,

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then we're talking about, Okay,
well, can you make some moves to

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fit around Pascal Siakam? If not, do you have to move Pascal Siakam?

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And I think at that point the
conversation has to be do you move

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Pascal? And that's where I may
be different from a lot of rapt fans

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because in my thoughts is, if
he doesn't take that next step, or

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if it doesn't look like that superstar
progression is coming, or that All Star

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All NBA progression is coming, I
wouldn't want to trade away my best player

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for someone if there's nobody better coming
through the pipeline, if that makes sense,

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right. So that's where I have
a little bit of my hangups,

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and I think Rapter fans are going
to get mad at me for saying that.

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And I'm not saying that he can't
take that next step. I'm just

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saying this season. Last year,
when we talked about it, I thought,

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if Scotty's great, if Scottie takes
that leap, cherry on top,

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sky's the limit for this team.
Whereas this season, I don't think that

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that's the case. I think it
matters. I think it's a core piece

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of what this team looks like.
I think it's the core piece of what

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this team looks like and what direction
they choose to take. It really comes

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down to what does Scotty Barnes look
like? And there's like that feels like

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a I mean, it's a multi
layer question. But there's like a twofold

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to it. So looking at last
season, what was like, where did

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he regress? Mostly what was most
disappointing was maybe the regression overblown from a

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national perspective. How much of that
also had to do with the roster construction

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00:19:33,599 --> 00:19:36,720
a little bit, because I'm with
you, I actually don't there are redundancies

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to Scotty Barnes and Pascal Siakam.
I want to make that clear. But

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00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:44,559
if you surround Pascal Siakim and Scotty
Barnes with shooting, that's a really good

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team. And the Raptors didn't do
that. So I find myself I'd mentioned

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00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:49,960
this to you before you come on. I'm trying to center my thoughts on

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how I feel about Scotty Barnes because
they're so scattered and disorganized and chaotic,

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because I don't know how much blame
to ascribe to him versus like the roster

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00:19:57,839 --> 00:20:03,400
construction really wasn't, frankly to optimize
like most of their top talent. It

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00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,839
was like a lot of Pascal Siaka
played really well almost in spite of how

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the roster was built around them.
Entirely. That entirely that and I agree

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with that one hundred and twenty million
percent. I think with Scottie where we

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saw a little bit of regression is
with his efficiency. So coming into the

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league, there was a lot of
talk about Scottie Barnes not being a shooter

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00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:27,599
at all, like not having any
sort of range on his shot. There

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00:20:27,599 --> 00:20:30,240
were jokes about like zero level score
and all this other stuff, and right

328
00:20:30,279 --> 00:20:33,960
away, yeah, it was mean, and right away he disproved that first

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00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:37,319
game. I think his first shot
was like this, like gorgeous skyhook.

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Like right away were like, hey, look at this guy. And you

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00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:45,079
saw that being disproved right away,
and that's why he won Rookie of the

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00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:49,519
Year. He had a fantastic rookie
season and in his second year, not

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00:20:49,559 --> 00:20:52,640
to say that he regrets into being
you know, all those mean jokes early

334
00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:59,960
on, but we saw that efficiency
depth across the board, and I think

335
00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,960
where we and this is sort of
where the Yaccapurdole conversation comes up because we're

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00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,519
talking about a lot of guys redundancies, is where we really saw Scotty excel

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00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,720
is when he played your sort of
nominal five. Okay, that's where you

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00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:17,240
really saw I think Scotty's best month
last year would have been January. That's

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00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:21,640
where you really got to see him
excels when he plays that sort of five

340
00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:26,200
four of the team that obviously takes
a toll on people's bodies, but you're

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00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,119
sort of using him in that way. It's similar to and Raptor fans are

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00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:33,480
going to give so much trouble for
this, but it's similar to everyone talking

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00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:36,519
about, you know, Ben Simmon's
a point guard. Ben Simmons offensively kind

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00:21:36,519 --> 00:21:38,559
of fits is your five right because
he's because he doesn't have that sort of

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00:21:38,599 --> 00:21:44,440
shot yet. And I think it's
very kind that you said, yet that's

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00:21:44,519 --> 00:21:48,799
very that's very nice of you when
people were having those conversations about Ben Simmons

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00:21:48,839 --> 00:21:53,200
and might have been your two three. We're down the line now. But

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I think with Scotty, there's no
reason he's twenty one right, there's no

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00:21:57,279 --> 00:22:00,759
reason to believe that he can't progress. There's no reas and believe that he

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00:22:00,759 --> 00:22:03,640
can't grow. Pascal's Yakom also did
not have a shot at all at this

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00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:08,000
age, so he doesn't have much
bright now but so much better. It's

352
00:22:08,039 --> 00:22:11,400
so much better. So I think
that that would be sort of the main

353
00:22:11,559 --> 00:22:15,559
thing. And as as a ball
handler and as your primary playmaker, there's

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00:22:15,599 --> 00:22:18,400
going to be a lot of steps
that Scotty's going to need to take,

355
00:22:18,559 --> 00:22:22,039
especially if the ball is just going
to be in his hands and he's going

356
00:22:22,079 --> 00:22:25,920
to be the guy doing it.
He can make really flashy passes, right

357
00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:29,519
Like those no look passes are gorgeous. You know you're talking about a big

358
00:22:29,519 --> 00:22:32,359
guy making playmaking. That's always going
to be great. We all, we

359
00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:36,559
all love big playmakers. It's fun
to watch and it's also just smarter if

360
00:22:36,559 --> 00:22:40,880
guys can just see you over the
defense. But I think with pass with

361
00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:42,920
Scotty Barnes, it's going to be
how to get into the teeth of the

362
00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,240
defense because another thing that we're missing
with fred n Bleet is, yeah,

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00:22:47,279 --> 00:22:49,319
he's not a guy who can finish
at all, right, he really struggled,

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00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,720
But he's also as a ball handler, the guy who got you the

365
00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:56,039
most pain touches, and that's going
to be something. It's it's all I

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00:22:56,039 --> 00:23:00,119
think a lot easier to do as
a smaller guy than a bigger guy getting

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00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,039
in there. But that's going to
be something where we're going to need to

368
00:23:03,039 --> 00:23:07,359
see Scottie take that next step.
Those are going to be the areas that

369
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,920
I'm watching, just as the primary
playmakers or primary ball handler Canny get this

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00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:15,359
team paint touches, how is this
kickout game? Kenny Finish also consistently get

371
00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,400
to the free throw line. Those
are going to be the things that we

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00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:19,599
want to see from Scotty Barnes,
and those are things that I think he

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00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,200
can do. So I'm excited about
the next step. But where he sort

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00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:29,319
of took a step back last year
is because again the offense doesn't prioritize him

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00:23:29,319 --> 00:23:33,359
when you have Prevently and Pascal Siak, I'm doing their thing, but also

376
00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,960
you need him to be a spacer
in some ways and he just can't.

377
00:23:37,039 --> 00:23:40,680
So as a screener sort of your
nominal five on offense, he you know,

378
00:23:40,759 --> 00:23:42,799
dribble handoff action. I think we'll
be We're going to see a much

379
00:23:42,799 --> 00:23:45,119
different offense, I think, and
I think that that's what this comes down

380
00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:48,880
to is with Darko, we'll hopefully
see a much different offense than we saw

381
00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,319
last year. But I again don't
think that's an entire knock on Nick Nurse.

382
00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:56,920
I think that's more so rustic instruction. Yeah, with Scottie, I

383
00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:00,599
actually believe he'll end up being okay, stand still shooter. I don't know.

384
00:24:00,599 --> 00:24:03,720
I don't think he'll ever probably become
a pull up threat. I believe

385
00:24:03,759 --> 00:24:06,920
in his ability to get to the
basket. I think even when you watch

386
00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:08,319
him sometimes it feels like he doesn't
get to the basket as much as he

387
00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:11,640
actually does because he throws up that
you know, that turnaround push out or

388
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,519
that hook shot a lot, and
maybe you'd like to not bail out as

389
00:24:15,559 --> 00:24:18,240
much. And I think he'll get
to the free throw line more often because

390
00:24:18,279 --> 00:24:19,799
of his ability to get inside like
that. The thing is, and I

391
00:24:19,839 --> 00:24:25,119
think this overlaps with your concern is
just when you mentioned Yaka Peardle, He's

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00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:27,680
not gonna be in Scotty Martin's most
of these line of phenomenal five. You're

393
00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:32,359
gonna just have this five. And
so can that processing speed is a playmaker

394
00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:33,880
increase because when he has like a
head of speed, and it doesn't have

395
00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,000
to be in transition, but like
if he's like turning a corner in the

396
00:24:37,039 --> 00:24:40,680
half court and like he's catching the
ball and going, he can be really

397
00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:44,400
devastating both of the score and a
passer. But it's in those slower,

398
00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,960
more methodical situations where if you have
to call for a ball screen from Yacca

399
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:49,440
peardle Orf, the defense is just
back and is forcing you to set.

400
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,440
I don't know that I have I'm
not saying he can't do it. I

401
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,720
just don't know how confident I am
that, like the dynamic between Scotty and

402
00:24:56,799 --> 00:25:03,799
Yakub as Scotti is driving for of
your offense is going to work with the

403
00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:07,079
current roster. You definitely feels like
you need more shooting. But I think

404
00:25:07,079 --> 00:25:11,240
a lot of it is just gonna
come down to Scotty acting faster and slower

405
00:25:11,279 --> 00:25:12,880
situations. That might be a terrible
way to phrase it, but like that's

406
00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:17,359
where I'm just the most curious.
Yeah, no, not that makes a

407
00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:21,000
lot of sense. I'm honestly really
excited to see what this next. I'm

408
00:25:21,039 --> 00:25:23,799
excited to see what their fit is. Because they signed Jacob on for long

409
00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,839
term, this looks to be the
team. I know. There are reports

410
00:25:26,839 --> 00:25:32,079
about like can you get it bogged
on from Atlanta to help with your spacing?

411
00:25:32,079 --> 00:25:33,880
Are there's some other people that you
can add? But I'm I'm I'm

412
00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,240
excited to see what this team looks
like. I think I think this will

413
00:25:37,279 --> 00:25:42,279
be a big year for Scotty Pascal
Siakam, I feel like as viewed as

414
00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:47,359
this and we might have had the
exact same discussion last year as this good

415
00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:52,279
not great player. I felt like
that persisted last year. What do you

416
00:25:52,279 --> 00:25:56,279
think is like the misconception about how
well he performed last season or how valuable

417
00:25:56,279 --> 00:25:59,440
he is, And then also just
sort of what does he need to do

418
00:25:59,599 --> 00:26:02,200
like he shot? Like is it
simply just hey, if you could hit

419
00:26:02,279 --> 00:26:03,720
more than thirty four percent of your
catching shoot threes, like that would be

420
00:26:03,759 --> 00:26:06,680
great, buddy, Like we don't
need you to be a pull up threat,

421
00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:08,680
Like could you just hit like thirty
seven percent are your catching shoots?

422
00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:12,519
Like what are you looking or monitoring
most closely with him this year? Yeah,

423
00:26:12,559 --> 00:26:18,960
let's where I get a little dululu. So okay, A couple of

424
00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:25,720
things. One is, I think
the overall perception of Pascal Siakam comes from

425
00:26:25,759 --> 00:26:27,559
the fact that, again we talked
about this, We've mentioned it already,

426
00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:32,720
he's doing this in a team that
is not built to maximize his skill set

427
00:26:32,759 --> 00:26:34,799
in the slightest right, there's a
lot of conversations about this, you know,

428
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:37,880
in order for Scotty to develop and
in order for Scotty to grow,

429
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:41,160
you need more shooting, you need
a team that's built around him, and

430
00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:45,799
that is true, But the same
could be said for Pascal Siakam, and

431
00:26:45,839 --> 00:26:51,519
still Pascal Siakam continues to take that
next sleep. Pascal Siakam's ability to do

432
00:26:51,559 --> 00:26:56,240
this in negative spacing is something to
behold. It is it is something that

433
00:26:56,359 --> 00:27:00,200
I mean, maybe shay for Team
kat if I can just bring it back

434
00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,599
to that one more time that I've
seen, but like it, it is

435
00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,480
something. It is a sight to
behold his ability to do to create something

436
00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:11,440
out of nothing. But I think
what it comes down to for Pascal and

437
00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,359
we can look back at the numbers
the start of the year and the end

438
00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:15,799
of the year are very different,
and I think a large part of that

439
00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,960
comes down to the usage that he
has, but more importantly the minutes set

440
00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,839
he plays. He has led the
league in minutes the last two seasons.

441
00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:27,160
This is a guy who's dealt with
the same injury over and over again,

442
00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,000
and we're starting to see that take
a toll. You talk about his catch

443
00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,640
and shoot numbers pretty else. Stark, he shot thirty seven percent. Captain

444
00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:38,000
shoot threes both, I'll start twenty
eight percent so there is or and like

445
00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:41,680
that is not just like a one
random trend from last season. That's kind

446
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,799
of what happens, and that's probably
going to continue to happen if he plays

447
00:27:45,839 --> 00:27:48,680
forty minutes a night or whatever crazy
thing. It is. Hopefully now that

448
00:27:48,839 --> 00:27:52,079
you have Dark going instead of Nick
Nurse and you have a more deep roster,

449
00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:56,599
this Raptors team has more playable guys
than they had last season, that

450
00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:00,640
hopefully goes down. So I do
think large part of it is this load

451
00:28:00,799 --> 00:28:04,680
that he's had to carry for the
team, playing in leading the league in

452
00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:08,279
minutes the last two seasons. You
see that number, you see his numbers

453
00:28:08,319 --> 00:28:11,880
go down. You can go across
the board. His efficiency continuously goes down

454
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:18,720
posts all Star. I have to
imagine that comes down to the Burt the

455
00:28:18,759 --> 00:28:22,559
the load that he's had to carry. I meant, thirty seven percent catch

456
00:28:22,599 --> 00:28:26,319
and shoot guy from three at the
start of the season down to twenty eight

457
00:28:27,079 --> 00:28:30,119
and a half maybe in the second
half of the season, not second half

458
00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:34,119
of the season, but from February
onwards. Really points to a guy who

459
00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:37,680
just has to carry this massive burden. But I think at the start of

460
00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,480
the season we were talking about Pascal
is like, whoa this next step that

461
00:28:40,519 --> 00:28:44,759
he just took? Is he is
he gonna be on? Like you know,

462
00:28:45,279 --> 00:28:47,799
where is he going to fall in
your All NBA list? It wasn't

463
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:49,640
is he going to make the team? It was how high do we have

464
00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,680
him up here? Because he's just
playing insane basketball? And he had like

465
00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:56,920
a forty point triple double against the
Brooklyn Nets and it's like, this guy

466
00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:00,880
is unstoppable. There is actually nothing
you can throw at him. And again,

467
00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,839
this is on a team that cannot
shoot, which says a whole lot.

468
00:29:04,079 --> 00:29:07,599
It's not a team that is built
to maximize his skill set. So

469
00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:11,480
what I would say to the rest
of the world who doesn't understand what Pascal

470
00:29:11,559 --> 00:29:14,160
is doing is one, the burden
that he is carrying is the heys in

471
00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,200
league. He's leather the league in
minutes the last two seasons and that matters.

472
00:29:17,519 --> 00:29:21,200
And two, he's on a team
that is not built for him.

473
00:29:21,279 --> 00:29:25,559
It is built with copies of him, which does not really work very well.

474
00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:29,240
Right, So like being able to
do that on a team that just

475
00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,559
is not there to maximize your skill
set. Imagine if you had a Pascal

476
00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:36,279
Siakam around a bunch of shooting,
I think you were talking about this team

477
00:29:36,319 --> 00:29:37,799
in a much different way. And
if he doesn't have to carry the low

478
00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:42,039
defensively, also because of this aggressive
style of defense that we talked about Nick

479
00:29:42,119 --> 00:29:45,599
Nurse deploying, I think we're talking
about Pascal siakam in a much different light.

480
00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:48,400
So I do think that he's had
to carry a pretty heavy burden for

481
00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:52,079
this Raptor's team. Yeah, and
I mean, look, I think you

482
00:29:52,079 --> 00:29:52,799
can see it in a lot of
just like some of their splits. You

483
00:29:52,799 --> 00:29:56,599
even look at Scotty last year,
was that like forty nine percent shooting on

484
00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:00,440
drives before the All Star break?
He was at thirty seven eight afterwards.

485
00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,839
That doesn't happen like by another team's
design. It's not like the league suddenly

486
00:30:03,839 --> 00:30:11,640
figured. Yeah, and look,
I am in awe of I still think

487
00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:15,119
there's an element of like what I'm
concerned with Scotty Barnes, where I want

488
00:30:15,119 --> 00:30:18,759
Pascal Siak can be able to move
quicker in these slower situations, but he

489
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,599
is such like this lateral shiftiness with
the ball in his hands that Scotty doesn't

490
00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:25,599
yet have. And so it's like, if you're not going to surround them

491
00:30:25,599 --> 00:30:27,519
with more spacing. You kind of
need Scotty to take a like a half

492
00:30:27,519 --> 00:30:33,240
core ball handering trajectory from Pascal Siakam
if you want him to even come close

493
00:30:33,279 --> 00:30:37,319
to maximizing. But I'm with you, and I find the talk of I

494
00:30:37,359 --> 00:30:41,240
think it's clear the Raptors have shown
that they will let Pascal Siakan get the

495
00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:42,920
free agency just because we saw it
with Fred, we saw it with Kyle

496
00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:48,039
Lowry. But what is what is
stress for that MESSI think about me,

497
00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:51,960
right, and so yeah, think
about him on MASSI come on, what

498
00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,839
is more likely? Though? Is
it more likely that he signs an extension

499
00:30:56,079 --> 00:30:59,000
or that he gets traded. I'm
not saying those are the only two options,

500
00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,519
but what do you think is more
likely? I hate to say that

501
00:31:02,519 --> 00:31:06,720
this comes back down to what Okay, I'm gonna I'm not gonna say that.

502
00:31:06,759 --> 00:31:10,759
I And here's the craziest thing is
if you ask me this last season

503
00:31:10,759 --> 00:31:14,279
about Freve Mvleet Day Tren Junior,
and if I knew that Yako Hurdle was

504
00:31:14,319 --> 00:31:15,319
coming, I'd be like, they
all sign back. It is easy,

505
00:31:15,359 --> 00:31:19,880
it's done. And that didn't happen. I did not foresee again, he

506
00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:25,359
may get taking over the Houston situation
and loving Freve m Leet as much as

507
00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:29,759
he supposed apparently does. So,
yeah, so I would still bank on

508
00:31:29,839 --> 00:31:32,640
Pascal coming back. You look around
the league, how many teams really have

509
00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:36,119
cap spaceed number one? Every team
is scared of the second April number two.

510
00:31:36,119 --> 00:31:37,799
I actually don't know who has Capspasers
probably look at that. So I

511
00:31:37,799 --> 00:31:44,960
can be worried some more, but
not like I'm like, yeah, I

512
00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:47,839
was thinking that. I was thinking
that. It's like, so, so

513
00:31:48,079 --> 00:31:51,599
I think that there is a strong
chance that he does resign with the Raptors.

514
00:31:51,839 --> 00:31:55,759
I will say this though, regardless
of if he makes all NBA,

515
00:31:56,240 --> 00:32:00,480
I don't really believe the Raptors are
giving him that supermass. No, that's

516
00:32:00,519 --> 00:32:04,000
the oddest bit of reporting to me. I understand why he would want to

517
00:32:04,039 --> 00:32:07,640
be super max eligible, because even
just saying I'm super max selligible even if

518
00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:09,960
you don't sign it. But this
idea that he wouldn't resign with another team

519
00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:15,440
because he wants to be super max
elligible. The Raptors have have proven they're

520
00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:17,640
not going to pay that money.
They're just by letting Fred walk, and

521
00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:21,839
so I don't if he leaves,
I don't think if factors into that.

522
00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:23,519
I just think it would be if
they let him get to free agency he's

523
00:32:23,519 --> 00:32:25,799
not happy there, or maybe they
were really low balling in, but I

524
00:32:25,799 --> 00:32:31,119
would be be super Max eligible and
they gave him I would honestly probably faint

525
00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:36,160
for me. Yeah, I don't
like I can see him being Superre's here's

526
00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,519
where I'll say, maybe if he's
first team All NBA and it's like there

527
00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:43,279
was no one else that was going
to take one of those forward spots from

528
00:32:43,359 --> 00:32:49,359
him. I love Pascal, don't
really foresee that happening this season, but

529
00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:52,039
that might be a scenario where it's
like, all right, he's he's one

530
00:32:52,039 --> 00:32:57,359
of the two best forwards in basketball
right now, especially without because the positions

531
00:32:57,359 --> 00:33:01,079
are gone now right from all three
with guards, like, oh, it's

532
00:33:01,079 --> 00:33:06,000
gonna be Luca. There's no positions. I completely forgot that. So if

533
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:07,799
he makes first team All NBA,
you might have to suit just because So

534
00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:12,400
here's a if he makes first team
All NBA, Sorry, Stephan Curry,

535
00:33:13,559 --> 00:33:21,279
you're splitting those boats with Chris Paul
apparently, Oh that'd be the best.

536
00:33:22,799 --> 00:33:27,599
Chris Paul just gets some All NBA
botes. Okay, So yeah, so

537
00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:30,119
like that would be a scenario where
I think they would pay him that.

538
00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,279
Outside of that, I don't think
that they're gonna give him the Supermax,

539
00:33:34,039 --> 00:33:36,400
but I still think he'll stay.
I mean, Yaka Peodle's his best friend,

540
00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:38,400
right, they traded for Yaka Purdle. I think Pascal had a lot

541
00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:44,960
to do with that they kept him. I think he stays. What is

542
00:33:45,079 --> 00:33:47,920
who's more important to that dynamic working? Like when you're looking at this,

543
00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,960
I'll call it the front court of
like Scottie Barnes, Yacca Peardle, and

544
00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:58,000
Pascal's Yakam because Peardle, they all
in fury want to occupy the same space,

545
00:33:58,039 --> 00:34:00,279
just in different ways. Is it
Yakham because he's going to be the

546
00:34:00,319 --> 00:34:04,599
guy that's dotting up around like Scotty
Barnes getting into the pain or if there's

547
00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:07,880
a Yaka Peartles, Scotty Barnes picking
roll or is it Scotty Barnes because it's

548
00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:09,679
like, hey, you need a
better facilitating here. Someone's gonna make some

549
00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:14,280
better decisions maybe once he gets into
the pain and then you also need him,

550
00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:15,880
like yeah, he's gonna be dotting
the arc when Pascos Yack, Like

551
00:34:16,039 --> 00:34:20,480
who's more important to this sort of
and how does Yaka Peartle sort of factor

552
00:34:20,519 --> 00:34:22,760
in here? Does he gets squeezed
of like minutes and crunch time because they

553
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,880
don't necessarily want to play with that
many non shooters on the court, and

554
00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:29,719
then we all know about how he
is at the foul line, So like

555
00:34:30,039 --> 00:34:34,559
what like that dynamic is just so
like who's of the three, Who's who's

556
00:34:34,559 --> 00:34:37,840
it on the most to make it
work? That's a good question. I

557
00:34:38,039 --> 00:34:43,199
do think that they'll certainly go down
Yaka's minutes, we'll go down. We

558
00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:47,880
saw that already. There was a
huge game in February that Scotty Barnes won

559
00:34:49,079 --> 00:34:51,639
at the five, but he played
the five in that fourth quarter and he

560
00:34:52,039 --> 00:34:55,519
absolutely won the team the game.
And that was against Chicago Bulls in right

561
00:34:55,559 --> 00:35:00,039
after the trade deadline, and I
think that that's Looking at that, I

562
00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:02,280
was like, okay, this is
what because those were questions that people had

563
00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:06,639
last season when they thought everybody was
running it back as well. And you

564
00:35:06,679 --> 00:35:08,400
looked at that sort of game and
we're like, okay, this is your

565
00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:13,960
closing lineup against certain teams, It's
going to be Scotty Barnes at the five.

566
00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:15,559
It's not going to be Yaca Purtle
in these situations, and I think

567
00:35:15,559 --> 00:35:17,679
that we're going to continue to see
that, So I think his minutes,

568
00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:22,320
his minutes will definitely get squeezed.
Who do I think is I think it's

569
00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:27,039
got to be Pascal Siakam? I
do I think it's got to be Pascal

570
00:35:27,079 --> 00:35:31,360
Siakam. I can see maybe it's
Scottie. If Scotty, I think it's

571
00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:35,119
gotta be Pascal Siam. I'm gonna
say that it's it's it's got to come

572
00:35:35,119 --> 00:35:37,280
down to him, just because yeah, he is your best player and he's

573
00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:45,800
got to be. He's also I
can see Pascal taking Oh, it's it's

574
00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:47,079
just that I was going to say
something, and then I just remember it

575
00:35:47,119 --> 00:35:51,920
is a contract year and the Supermax
is available. Even if he does not

576
00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:53,800
get it, he's still going for
it. So I'm going to delete what

577
00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:58,679
I was about to say because it's
not happening. He's he's not he's not

578
00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:01,519
doing that sort of og. Just
going to stay back here. Yeah,

579
00:36:05,079 --> 00:36:08,360
I'm just very curious because like Fred
van Fleet assisted on like thirty three percent

580
00:36:08,599 --> 00:36:12,760
of Jakob's buckets last year after he
came to Toronto, So it's like that

581
00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:15,920
chair is going to have to come
from someone else, and I mean Dennis

582
00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:19,760
Shrewder sure like it's like Scottie or
Pascal is gonna like you have to ratchet

583
00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:24,000
up like the connection they have with
him. I like. Also again with

584
00:36:24,079 --> 00:36:28,880
Dennis, it's like and like,
I'm glad that they brought in a point

585
00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,519
like a traditional point guard, but
again because of his lack of pull up

586
00:36:31,599 --> 00:36:35,800
shooting. We even saw it with
his success in Germany, which I think

587
00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:37,559
a lot of Raptor fans are hoping
he can replicate here. That team is

588
00:36:37,559 --> 00:36:40,679
built very different than this Raptor's team
because of the shooting that they have,

589
00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:45,320
right, Like, it is a
different sort of look. And when you

590
00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:47,280
have a guy who, yeah,
like are you going to run pick and

591
00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:52,119
roll? With Dennis Schroeder and Yako
Portal. I think if you look at

592
00:36:52,119 --> 00:36:54,800
the numbers last year with the Lakers, it worked in lineups where again there

593
00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:59,440
was shooting, like you're just you
need to have that, And I think

594
00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:02,199
I just I just don't understand how
teams just don't go under every single time

595
00:37:02,199 --> 00:37:06,760
on anything the Raptors do. It's
just going to Yeah, the lack of

596
00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:10,159
shooting is gonna is going to be
a real issue, especially if you start

597
00:37:10,639 --> 00:37:16,440
Dennis Schroeder, O Gianna Nobi,
Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes and Yaka Purdle.

598
00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:20,599
If that's your starting five, we're
going to see that being an issue

599
00:37:20,599 --> 00:37:23,440
immediately. Sort of lost in all
this, we haven't really talked to him

600
00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:27,519
about him that much. O Gianna
Obi. Yeah, in a contract year

601
00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:32,360
has shift? Has the ship sailed
on on ball? O Gianna Nobi though,

602
00:37:32,519 --> 00:37:35,920
Like, I really want to see
it, But I feel like each

603
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:39,000
year, I I like I'm a
little bit lower on it over the past

604
00:37:39,039 --> 00:37:43,400
couple And that's fair, that's fair. I think we've seen him with some

605
00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:52,519
clips at Stephen Curry's camp. He's
at Stephen Curry's camp. Uh, And

606
00:37:52,679 --> 00:37:54,800
I think there have been some some
I don't know, what do they do,

607
00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:58,719
dribble a ball with two hands,
dribble two ball, didn't want any

608
00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:04,880
chance. We're seeing some dribbling worked
outs happening. I think I don't think

609
00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:07,119
it's over. I don't think it's
over. And I think what this Raptors

610
00:38:07,119 --> 00:38:09,119
team always is when you look at
a team that has we've talked, we

611
00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:14,039
just keep repeating. When you look
at a team that has as many I

612
00:38:14,079 --> 00:38:15,880
don't want to call them redundant players
because they're not. They do have separate

613
00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:23,599
skill sets. But when you look
at teams that have similar size, yeah,

614
00:38:23,679 --> 00:38:29,760
yeah, redundancy of weaknesses or just
similarly sized guys. The whole idea,

615
00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:31,760
especially if Og is going to be
your two, is just attacking mismatches.

616
00:38:32,159 --> 00:38:36,079
That's going to be a ton of
what the Raptors are going to be

617
00:38:36,119 --> 00:38:39,159
looking to do. And so I
think we're going to see all ball reps

618
00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:43,800
from all three of the main guys
that we're talking about here. I think

619
00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:45,719
we're going to see a lot of
it. I don't think it's just going

620
00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:46,880
to be point Scotty, let him
run, or point Pascal, you let

621
00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:50,599
him run. I think we're going
to see a lot of guys really get

622
00:38:50,599 --> 00:38:54,480
into the mix of things, even
like we've seen some sort of you know,

623
00:38:54,599 --> 00:38:58,519
dribble handoff action from a guy like
Jaka Purtle. He was sort of

624
00:38:58,519 --> 00:39:00,559
a hub for San Antonio when he
was there as well. So I think

625
00:39:00,639 --> 00:39:04,800
that the offense that we're going to
be getting is going to have a lot

626
00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:07,000
of different attacks, and I think
a lot of that is going to fall

627
00:39:07,079 --> 00:39:10,000
on like hey, O g you
want to have more reps. For as

628
00:39:10,079 --> 00:39:14,679
much as we're talking about Scottie wanting
to have more reps, every single rumor

629
00:39:14,719 --> 00:39:16,480
for the last two years has been
Og wanting to have more reps, wanting

630
00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:19,400
to have the ball in his hands, wanting to see what he can do.

631
00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,000
And I think Og can do it. And I think one thing again,

632
00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,239
me and this is me looking back
at the numbers from like last year

633
00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:32,000
and the year before Oge's like ISO
numbers were terrible to start the year,

634
00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:36,599
not last season, but the season
before that, and that's because Pascal was

635
00:39:36,639 --> 00:39:38,880
gone, and that's because there was
not a single shooter on the court alongside

636
00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:44,360
him for a good chunk of those
minutes. And so I think he was

637
00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:47,400
like in the eleventh percentile if I
remember that correctly, it was. It

638
00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:51,639
was bad. And then the playoffs
came around and he jumped up to like

639
00:39:51,679 --> 00:39:52,880
the eighty eight percentiles or something like
that, and it was like, Oh,

640
00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:58,679
when you put shooters around Og and
you give Og and and Obi the

641
00:39:58,719 --> 00:40:01,039
ball, he can actually create stuff? Can he create things for other people?

642
00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:05,199
That's going to be sort of the
next step in his in his evolution

643
00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:07,920
and in his growth. But I
think we're going to start to see more

644
00:40:07,079 --> 00:40:09,360
on ball reps. The only thing
that I'm worried about is again, you're

645
00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:14,360
having no shooting. And maybe that's
something that Pascal can make something out of

646
00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:17,039
nothing out of. But ken Og
and Scottie proove that they can do the

647
00:40:17,079 --> 00:40:22,039
same. That's the test. It's
so funny how we have to ascribe and

648
00:40:22,079 --> 00:40:25,440
I'm like, I'm legitimately saying this
the caveat of but they have negative spacing

649
00:40:25,519 --> 00:40:28,719
everything, because I just look at
it, just like he had a higher

650
00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:30,960
turnover rate than assist rate on his
drive last year. I was like,

651
00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:35,719
no, but then it's like,
well he's working with negative spaces, Like

652
00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:37,840
let's like, let's still hold out
hope for It's just funny that we have

653
00:40:37,960 --> 00:40:43,840
to apply that that caveat when your
own teammates are in your way. But

654
00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:49,000
it's like year three of that caveat, and so it's like, why why

655
00:40:49,039 --> 00:40:52,119
are we still do? So it's
why are we still doing And they just

656
00:40:52,199 --> 00:40:55,159
gave up their best shooter who was
additioned by subtraction. Oh god, yeah,

657
00:40:55,360 --> 00:41:00,960
yeah, it's not great. It's
not great. So I have two

658
00:41:00,039 --> 00:41:04,760
questions about Gary Trent Junior. One
that's like related to the bigger picture of

659
00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:07,000
the raptors. But what like he
opts in and then there was reports about

660
00:41:07,079 --> 00:41:12,320
an extension is coming, and we're
recording this on September nineteenth. There's no

661
00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:15,599
Scott. There's no Gary Trent Junior
extension to the best of my knowledge,

662
00:41:15,599 --> 00:41:17,400
and they're like, what's going on
there. I'm gonna be honest. I

663
00:41:17,559 --> 00:41:22,360
was way more surprised about hearing that
there was an extension that was coming,

664
00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:24,119
So it's not happening. I was
like, Okay, it makes sense because

665
00:41:24,639 --> 00:41:29,119
I was surprised by that, by
that rumor. It to me. I

666
00:41:29,199 --> 00:41:32,000
think with this summer showed us with
Gary Trenchors, I think he tested the

667
00:41:32,039 --> 00:41:37,960
market as he should, and there
wasn't one out there for him in the

668
00:41:37,039 --> 00:41:42,039
way that I think he had wanted
and maybe expected at the start of last

669
00:41:42,079 --> 00:41:44,719
season. I think by December,
you know, when Nick Nurse was mentioned

670
00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:46,719
him and all this other stuff,
I think, if you would have told

671
00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:49,880
me would he stay every would he
goes? But he's out the door,

672
00:41:50,039 --> 00:41:52,840
like someone is giving him that money
and he's out the door. But then

673
00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:57,639
the second half of the season happened, and what we saw is, yes,

674
00:41:57,719 --> 00:42:00,800
this team desperately needs shooting, so
maybe the Raptors should hold on to

675
00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:07,119
him for dear life. But when
when all you can do is shoot and

676
00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:12,559
that shooting goes away as we saw
in April. Not to dis like,

677
00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:15,880
not to disparage or disrespect Gary Trent
Junior, who I think had a really

678
00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:20,039
good year for the Raptors this season. Prior he lad I think the league

679
00:42:20,039 --> 00:42:22,119
and steals for a good chunk of
the year, he took a step back

680
00:42:22,159 --> 00:42:29,199
defensively. And you we're talking about
on ball reps for og, we're talking

681
00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:30,800
about on ball reps for Pascal,
all of the four words. Why are

682
00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:35,519
we not talking about it about the
one guard that you have like that that's

683
00:42:35,559 --> 00:42:37,679
an issue when you're the one guard
that you have. When we're talking about,

684
00:42:37,679 --> 00:42:40,880
oh, you need someone who can
run the offense for the second unit,

685
00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:44,559
Well you have a twenty three year
old guard here that you brought in,

686
00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:46,599
but that's not something that he can
do. And I think what we're

687
00:42:46,599 --> 00:42:50,719
starting to see is like the limitations
of a Gary Trent Junior type player.

688
00:42:51,199 --> 00:42:53,000
I also think, you know,
the summers that Jordan Pool and Tyler Hero

689
00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:58,800
had maybe don't bode well for a
player like that, and they all better

690
00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:01,519
playmakers, better him. Layers can
do more things than a guy like Gary

691
00:43:01,559 --> 00:43:04,840
tren Junior you can do. But
I think we're starting to see the limitations

692
00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:08,079
of when you can just shoot,
what else can you do? And I

693
00:43:08,159 --> 00:43:12,039
think this is a really big year
for Gary to prove that again. He's

694
00:43:12,079 --> 00:43:14,719
young. Again, there's no reason
to not believe that he can improve and

695
00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:19,199
do all these other things. But
how he fits if he's the one who

696
00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:23,000
is tasked to man the second line, the second unit, can we get

697
00:43:23,039 --> 00:43:25,119
put the ball in your hands and
trust that something will come out. I

698
00:43:25,199 --> 00:43:28,360
also think that, like I was
going through the numbers, I wish I

699
00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:31,400
had them memorized right now. But
his numbers when he's playing alongside a guy

700
00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:36,320
like Pascal Siakam versus not like we're
talking about Pascal really needing the shooting.

701
00:43:36,679 --> 00:43:38,639
But boy, oh boy, does
Gary tren Junior looked like a much better

702
00:43:38,639 --> 00:43:44,599
player when Pascal Siakam was on the
court versus not there, which Pascal,

703
00:43:44,679 --> 00:43:47,079
it is perfect and if you can
keep your raptors, do it regardless of

704
00:43:47,119 --> 00:43:50,599
the cost. But yeah, so
I think with Gary treng Jor, there's

705
00:43:50,639 --> 00:43:52,559
a lot of questions it's more so
what can you do? And I think

706
00:43:52,639 --> 00:43:57,440
until he proves that, not just
to other teams, but to the Raptors

707
00:43:57,519 --> 00:44:00,679
as well, I'd be surprised to
see an extension come out unless it is

708
00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:04,400
a very team friendly deal. And
if I'm Gary Trent Junior, I'd rather

709
00:44:04,519 --> 00:44:07,199
prove it. I'd rather bet on
myself than sign a super team friendly deal,

710
00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:12,199
because you just had a really bad
second half of the season, and

711
00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:16,239
he's still young enough to improve and
still looking at his weaknesses and so like

712
00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:20,599
you mentioned the passing, and just
like there was I looked this up in

713
00:44:20,679 --> 00:44:23,320
preparation of the podcast. It was
one hundred and forty two players finished at

714
00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:28,679
least two hundred drives last year.
Gary Trenjior had the fourth lowest assist rate

715
00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:31,960
among those players, and part of
that, again could be the negative spacing.

716
00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:35,639
We have to throw that caveat in
there. How many of those were

717
00:44:35,719 --> 00:44:38,039
in transition and there was someone running
alongside and I don't know, but like,

718
00:44:38,159 --> 00:44:40,719
given that, and then also how
much you need his shooting. His

719
00:44:42,079 --> 00:44:44,440
off the dribble three point clip fell
off last year, but at least you

720
00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:46,280
know he's a guy that could do
that. It's a little bit sure list

721
00:44:46,280 --> 00:44:50,280
it actually makes and knowing you want
to put the ball in Scotty's hands and

722
00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:53,039
you wanted in Pascal's hands, is
there a merit to, hey, why

723
00:44:53,079 --> 00:44:57,599
don't we start Gary Trent Junior and
we'll bring Dennis Shrewder off the bench to

724
00:44:57,719 --> 00:45:00,519
run some of the second unit stuff. Or is that not something you think

725
00:45:00,519 --> 00:45:04,679
the Raptors are gonna end up considering? Honestly, I think initially that's what

726
00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:07,320
I thought it would be for that
exact reason. I think Gary Trend Junior

727
00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:10,239
matters so much to what this team
looks like. You know, I wasn't

728
00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:14,559
trying to disparage him. I actually
think that he is important to what this

729
00:45:14,639 --> 00:45:19,840
team looks like because of that pull
up shooting, Because I mean, you're

730
00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:23,000
Grady Dick hasn't played a single second
of NBA basketball, So I'll give it

731
00:45:23,039 --> 00:45:28,480
to Gary Grady and Gary. Wow. I didn't realize how similar that sounded,

732
00:45:29,519 --> 00:45:31,119
but no, I think I think
it's definitely got to be Gary treng

733
00:45:31,159 --> 00:45:36,360
j. I initially thought that he
was going to start for that reason,

734
00:45:37,199 --> 00:45:40,239
and you were just going to run
with point Scottie, point Yakom when you

735
00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:45,760
can figure things out that way,
but hearing the Dennis Schroeder came to the

736
00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:51,519
Raptor specifically because of Darko Ryakovich and
Dennis Shroeder expects to start, I was

737
00:45:51,559 --> 00:45:53,519
like, Oh, maybe some things
we've been talked about there, maybe it

738
00:45:53,599 --> 00:45:59,400
makes more sense to have, you
know, an actual point guard like that.

739
00:45:59,480 --> 00:46:01,719
You can try Rapper friends, Scotty
Barnes canna be that person. But

740
00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:07,119
maybe right from the jump in game
one. So yeah, it wouldn't surprise

741
00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:10,719
me either way. I think that
that's the biggest debate that's happening right now.

742
00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:15,239
And Gary tren Jor definitely for his
facing makes more sense with the starting

743
00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:17,440
lineup. He also just I think
he fits more seamlessly with the starting lineup.

744
00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:25,119
But yeah, I honestly I think
to start out, I probably would

745
00:46:25,199 --> 00:46:30,119
start Gary. If the bet is
that Scotty can be that person for you,

746
00:46:30,199 --> 00:46:32,760
I would start Gary and have Dannish
coming off Dennis coming off the bench.

747
00:46:34,119 --> 00:46:37,480
But hearing Dennis say that, it
seems like maybe he believes that he's

748
00:46:37,599 --> 00:46:40,199
Maybe it's a Chris Paul situation that
we're having here in Toronto as well.

749
00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:50,360
Bring it full circle, Nas shoulder
our Chris Paul. Oh God, I

750
00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:52,599
want to be very careful. And
when I was doing the outline, may

751
00:46:52,679 --> 00:46:54,199
know this because I caught shit for
the way I phrased it on draft night.

752
00:46:54,199 --> 00:46:58,960
As you can imagine, what did
you think of the Grady Dick selection

753
00:46:59,719 --> 00:47:02,400
and how much of a role to
expect him to play in year one for

754
00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:09,239
this team. I liked it because
this team desperately needs shooting. And I

755
00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:13,559
liked it because it's Yes, he's
six eight, so you're like, oh,

756
00:47:13,679 --> 00:47:16,239
yeah, the Raptors took another six
eight guy, but kind of the

757
00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:20,559
opposite of everybody else the Raptors have
picked. Like we we talked about it.

758
00:47:20,639 --> 00:47:22,559
It's like, oh, yeah,
the Raptors are gonna draft somebody.

759
00:47:22,559 --> 00:47:25,239
Oh another forward who's six eight and
you know some of the long wingspan,

760
00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:29,800
can defend, can't shoot still,
and like, finally they got a guy

761
00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:32,360
who can shoot. That is his
skill set. It also like he's a

762
00:47:32,400 --> 00:47:37,199
little slow footed, He's not,
you know, the type of player that

763
00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:42,039
the Raptors generally take. But he
changed the vibes immediately in Toronto. So

764
00:47:42,159 --> 00:47:45,599
for a team that really was struggling
until a team Canada came and saved us

765
00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:49,480
this summer with the Bronze Baby,
which we sell it, you know,

766
00:47:49,599 --> 00:47:52,320
like that meme where the guys like
pouring champagne all over himself and then it

767
00:47:52,519 --> 00:47:57,840
cans out. It's like he won
bronze, not even gold. That was

768
00:47:58,039 --> 00:48:01,800
us. But yeah, so I
think then that the big deal. As

769
00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:05,719
you mentioned, Canada hasn't been in
the Olympics since two thousand, which I

770
00:48:05,760 --> 00:48:10,239
didn't even realize. This is absolutely
this is the first medal I think,

771
00:48:10,519 --> 00:48:15,039
Yeah, this is definitely the first
medal team Canada's ever gotten in FIBA basketball.

772
00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:20,599
I'm not sure if they won one
an Olympics basketball and Olympic basketball.

773
00:48:20,679 --> 00:48:23,199
If it happened, it happened in
like nineteen thirty six or something, so

774
00:48:23,679 --> 00:48:28,519
this is a good moment to celebrate. Yeah. Anyways, besides, besides

775
00:48:28,519 --> 00:48:31,400
the Olympic team, I think that
Gary should start. That was my initial

776
00:48:31,559 --> 00:48:37,280
guess, but hearing Jenner Shoulder's comments, I kind of believe that maybe that's

777
00:48:37,320 --> 00:48:39,960
not how the Raptors will go to
start the season, and so you don't

778
00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:44,840
anticipate them like leaning too heavily then
on like Grady Dick just because of like

779
00:48:45,119 --> 00:48:46,880
year one stuff. Not as a
starter obviously, but just hey, we

780
00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:51,079
need shooting. Let's by the way
you mentioned, not really a Raptor's pick.

781
00:48:51,159 --> 00:48:53,320
If Jet Howard was on the board
just because of like the wingspan differentially,

782
00:48:53,360 --> 00:48:55,760
absolutely would have just went with Jet. If it was between Grady Dick

783
00:48:55,760 --> 00:49:00,599
and Jet Howard, that would have
been the Raptors pick. But I Slabali

784
00:49:00,719 --> 00:49:05,079
that's who I had all of my
hopes Onhington. That was the most Raptorus

785
00:49:05,119 --> 00:49:09,360
pick imaginable because they're laying the groundwork
for Victor when Yam weben Yama's recruitment in

786
00:49:09,440 --> 00:49:12,840
like twenty thirty, whenever he hits
free agency for the first time. Whatever,

787
00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:16,599
I gotta deal with Jannis and Dame
first and Beat. I'm kind of

788
00:49:16,639 --> 00:49:20,639
reluctant, but I'm gonna hop on
the bandwagon if we miss out and then

789
00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:25,760
Victor were coming from you. So
this is like when looking at all these

790
00:49:25,840 --> 00:49:29,679
anclary players, Well, actually I
have to ask, this isn't next centering

791
00:49:29,679 --> 00:49:31,880
an accessory player? Where are you
at? I'm precious Chua right now.

792
00:49:32,159 --> 00:49:37,199
After last season, which we know
injuries sort of like made it stop and

793
00:49:37,239 --> 00:49:38,760
start for him, But where where
are you at? We were both so

794
00:49:39,760 --> 00:49:45,320
unfathomably high on him last year.
Where are you this year? Huh?

795
00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:52,800
I love him. I think he's
perfect, and sometimes they're growing pains,

796
00:49:53,760 --> 00:49:57,119
I know. So here's the thing
I think with with Precious to Chua,

797
00:49:57,880 --> 00:50:00,000
he definitely took a step back last
season, and in j he's definitely played

798
00:50:00,039 --> 00:50:04,719
a part. He also, I
think this is sort of the the issue

799
00:50:04,760 --> 00:50:07,079
with Precious even the year before,
is for a guy who can do so

800
00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:13,400
much, he tries to do too
much and finding that spot and finding your

801
00:50:13,480 --> 00:50:15,800
role, and again it's going to
be very difficult for him to do on

802
00:50:15,880 --> 00:50:19,360
a team with zero spacing because he
comes in and is like, I'm that

803
00:50:19,559 --> 00:50:25,559
guy, you know, and I
want him to be. You know,

804
00:50:25,800 --> 00:50:30,519
I did a very bad photoshop of
Max Hallerman saying he wants to take Udala

805
00:50:30,800 --> 00:50:32,440
to take that three point shot if
the world is about I don't know if

806
00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:36,320
aliens are gonna you know that mean
where he's like, yeah, aliens are

807
00:50:36,320 --> 00:50:38,679
coming over. I put a true
in there because that's who I want to

808
00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:42,760
take that shot. But that's also
who Precious wants to take that shot.

809
00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:45,480
And sometimes Precious wants to take that
shot with twenty seconds left on the shot

810
00:50:45,519 --> 00:50:49,360
clock and they're being absolutely no reason
to do. So that's a little bit

811
00:50:49,400 --> 00:50:51,760
of an issue. But no,
in all seriousness, I think I think

812
00:50:51,800 --> 00:50:55,039
with Precious, he's young, we
know what he is defensively, we know

813
00:50:55,119 --> 00:51:02,119
what he can be. But I
think I think this team, I think

814
00:51:02,639 --> 00:51:07,119
his issue is that this team doesn't
fit him more than anything, and there's

815
00:51:07,159 --> 00:51:12,280
got to be someone that falls out. I think that has to be a

816
00:51:12,360 --> 00:51:14,840
guy like Precious. And I hate
saying that because he's also still just my

817
00:51:14,920 --> 00:51:19,679
favorite player. But we're starting to
see what the sort of cracks are when

818
00:51:19,719 --> 00:51:23,519
you have a team where what you
need from your bench players, what you

819
00:51:23,599 --> 00:51:27,760
need from your role players, what
you need from all those other guys is

820
00:51:28,079 --> 00:51:31,639
not more of the same of what
you're getting from your starters. And again

821
00:51:31,880 --> 00:51:36,400
it's not that it's redundant, but
the weaknesses are redundant. And I think

822
00:51:36,480 --> 00:51:37,639
that that's I think that's a little
bit of an issue. And I can't

823
00:51:37,639 --> 00:51:40,960
believe I'm saying that. I did
not expect to be talking negatively about Precious

824
00:51:42,039 --> 00:51:45,880
Chua, but yeah, I think
I think if this team needs to find

825
00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:50,000
a direction, it's like, but
maybe the direction is they were moving off

826
00:51:50,039 --> 00:51:52,400
of Pascal Siakam and there is a
role for for a guy like Precious Chua.

827
00:51:52,559 --> 00:51:57,800
Coming off the bench. But if
you have just too many of guys

828
00:51:57,840 --> 00:52:00,880
who just can't shoot, it becomes
a major, major issue. It would

829
00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:04,800
be pretty surprising if he got an
extension, right, precious A Chua.

830
00:52:05,400 --> 00:52:07,360
Yeah, I think off the year
that he just had. I would be

831
00:52:07,519 --> 00:52:13,719
very surprised everybody's healthy. Who plays
a bigger role among these three or who's

832
00:52:13,719 --> 00:52:17,360
more important to this team? Jayleen
McDaniels, Otto Porter Junior or Chris Bouchett

833
00:52:17,880 --> 00:52:22,280
Junior? Oh my god, can
you imagine? Can you imagine if they

834
00:52:22,320 --> 00:52:28,119
had outo Porter Junior last year?
I mean a rumor has it they did.

835
00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:30,880
We just didn't. We just didn't
see it. But I think he

836
00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:34,480
couldn't imagine if they had Auto Porter
Junior and not Nick Norse last year.

837
00:52:34,679 --> 00:52:43,280
Let me, he's like, they're
gonna need him to play like he's so

838
00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:45,880
there's Gary Trent Jr. And let's
just let's have some confidence in Grady Dick.

839
00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:50,000
I think it's a really good shooter. An underrated team defender is like

840
00:52:50,280 --> 00:52:54,000
Auto Porter Junior their third best shooter. Who else? I don't think it's

841
00:52:54,039 --> 00:53:00,320
I don't think we're even like OG. But even with OG, and I

842
00:53:00,400 --> 00:53:04,440
think Oog has. I think Og
has improved. We saw that last season

843
00:53:04,480 --> 00:53:07,679
as well, But a lot of
OG's looks come from the corner, and

844
00:53:07,639 --> 00:53:13,280
for a guy who can just space
the floor uh in Auto Porter Junior,

845
00:53:13,280 --> 00:53:15,719
I think you sort of need that. Can you consistently get above the break

846
00:53:15,760 --> 00:53:19,639
looks from a guy like og Na
Noby? Can you consistently get looks from

847
00:53:19,840 --> 00:53:21,880
on the wings or does he have
to be deep in the corner in order

848
00:53:21,920 --> 00:53:25,639
to hit whatever mark? I think
I think just in terms of floor spacing,

849
00:53:25,679 --> 00:53:29,079
it just matters so much more to
be able to do that across the

850
00:53:29,159 --> 00:53:31,519
board, and I think that's something
that Otto can do that I'd like to

851
00:53:31,559 --> 00:53:35,840
see more consistently from Ogi. Before
I say that, because yeah, he's

852
00:53:35,840 --> 00:53:37,679
slotted in the corner. That's the
role that he had to play. So

853
00:53:37,760 --> 00:53:39,199
that's not a knock on him.
That's where the raptors sort of forced him

854
00:53:39,239 --> 00:53:43,559
to be, but that's where he
has hit his deadliest marks. But yeah,

855
00:53:43,599 --> 00:53:45,960
I put him there for now just
because he's going to be playing more

856
00:53:45,039 --> 00:53:47,679
and it's going to be taking away
more of those shots. But yeah,

857
00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:54,159
it's not it's it's a steep drop
off after that. It's I'm I really

858
00:53:54,239 --> 00:53:58,800
like Jay and McDaniels. I hate
him on this team. It's like where

859
00:53:58,920 --> 00:54:01,639
that's why, so like Otto looks
Becausejail McDaniels can guard like up and down

860
00:54:01,639 --> 00:54:05,119
a little bit more than Gotto Porter
Junior's gotten a lot slower. But just

861
00:54:05,719 --> 00:54:10,840
McDaniels is such an at best like
sub below average shooter, and like the

862
00:54:10,960 --> 00:54:16,079
Raptors just need someone who can put
up like five six attempts per thirty six

863
00:54:16,159 --> 00:54:20,519
minutes and hit them in an above
average clip. I think that's Otto Porter

864
00:54:20,599 --> 00:54:23,039
Junior. I just questioned, like, what can he guard defensively now at

865
00:54:23,079 --> 00:54:25,119
this point in his career because you
might be in a situation where it's like,

866
00:54:25,159 --> 00:54:30,280
oh look another big, it's not
really a wing. I also,

867
00:54:30,519 --> 00:54:35,079
I will Chris Bruche is my Sirens
song just full stop. He's someone I

868
00:54:35,119 --> 00:54:37,639
feel like it could be sneaky important
if the three pointers starts falling again,

869
00:54:37,719 --> 00:54:40,920
just to be like, hey,
we can build lineups off the bench where

870
00:54:40,960 --> 00:54:45,559
it's like we're staggering Scotty and Pascal
or even if it's Dennish or whatever,

871
00:54:45,760 --> 00:54:47,599
and we have three shooters on the
court somehow, like it's Gary, Trent

872
00:54:47,679 --> 00:54:52,159
Junior and Chris Brusche and Otto Porter
Junior and like it's working or so I

873
00:54:52,199 --> 00:54:54,440
think he could be sneaky important.
But I agree with you that I think

874
00:54:54,480 --> 00:54:59,719
it's Otto Porter Juniors because of when
he's healthy, he feels like the most

875
00:55:00,119 --> 00:55:05,239
known or predictable quantity of the three
on offense. Oh definitely, because like

876
00:55:05,320 --> 00:55:10,320
I think the the sort of spectrum
that a guy like Chris Bouche is operating

877
00:55:10,360 --> 00:55:15,400
off of offensively is night and day. If that three point shot is there,

878
00:55:15,440 --> 00:55:21,639
then I would definitely have it be
Chris Bouche. But also like it's

879
00:55:21,679 --> 00:55:23,760
Chris Bouche here for the long haul, Like is that a player that gets

880
00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:28,360
moved? I sort of look at
precious in Chris Bouchet, and I'm like,

881
00:55:28,840 --> 00:55:31,440
if the Raptors are looking to make
some moves and to improve, are

882
00:55:31,519 --> 00:55:36,400
they you know, two names that
get tossed into his additional salary and something

883
00:55:37,119 --> 00:55:39,599
or I don't know something there,
Like I wonder what Chris Buche. I

884
00:55:39,679 --> 00:55:44,920
think he might even be expiring soon. So that's that's sort of the big

885
00:55:45,039 --> 00:55:47,599
the big question to me at least
in terms of looking at this team long

886
00:55:47,719 --> 00:55:52,440
term. But I love Chris Bouche, so do I he is. He's

887
00:55:52,559 --> 00:55:57,440
pure anarchy though in both great and
terrible ways. But it's fun when you're

888
00:55:57,440 --> 00:56:01,239
winning the great. Yes, Chris
bouche sperience is excellent when you're winning,

889
00:56:01,360 --> 00:56:06,239
and or Chris Machetti is playing great, and it's also like, hey,

890
00:56:06,320 --> 00:56:10,159
it's it's it's fun if you're relying
on a Chris Bouchet or precious a Chua.

891
00:56:10,639 --> 00:56:13,639
It's a lot when you got both
of them that you got to rely

892
00:56:13,800 --> 00:56:17,760
on because of the swing, especially
their offensively for both of them and their

893
00:56:19,760 --> 00:56:22,639
their belief in their three point shot. Let's put it that way. Would

894
00:56:22,639 --> 00:56:24,119
you need hey take it? You
need the team to take it? So

895
00:56:24,440 --> 00:56:30,519
so keep defense? Is honest?
Is there when you look at this personnel,

896
00:56:30,760 --> 00:56:32,679
are they built? Like what is
the pathway? Really? Just they

897
00:56:32,719 --> 00:56:37,679
need to hit more threes for them
to improve upon the half court offense,

898
00:56:37,719 --> 00:56:40,199
which was basically bottom five last year. It was even worse after they were

899
00:56:40,239 --> 00:56:44,840
like in bouncing the ball after made
shot. Is it just we've talked about

900
00:56:44,880 --> 00:56:46,559
shooting a negative spacing. Does it
really just come down to that or is

901
00:56:46,599 --> 00:56:52,880
there any other swing factors on this
roster that could help measurably improve that standing?

902
00:56:53,840 --> 00:56:58,280
Yeah, certainly ball movement and off
ball cutting. This is a team

903
00:56:58,360 --> 00:57:02,079
that stood around quite a last year. We saw a lot of your turn,

904
00:57:02,159 --> 00:57:05,719
My turn, which I think a
big reason why people are happy that

905
00:57:05,760 --> 00:57:07,800
prevent lead is gone again. I
don't want to fault him too much for

906
00:57:07,880 --> 00:57:14,719
that. I think that that is
comes down to coaching. But you saw

907
00:57:14,719 --> 00:57:16,280
a lot of your turn, My
turn, and you're having Darko come in

908
00:57:16,360 --> 00:57:20,159
and saying that he's going to revamp
a lot of that. So, yes,

909
00:57:20,239 --> 00:57:22,960
spacing does help if you are going
to be moving the ball a ton.

910
00:57:22,039 --> 00:57:27,119
It helps if guys are you know, if you have legitimate spacing there.

911
00:57:27,199 --> 00:57:29,440
But I think we didn't see a
whole lot of off ball cuts.

912
00:57:29,480 --> 00:57:31,360
That's something that Chris Biche and Passis
Chua can both do really really well.

913
00:57:31,480 --> 00:57:36,760
Actually, Like I think that if
you're looking for an offense, it doesn't

914
00:57:36,840 --> 00:57:39,199
just have okay, balls in Pascal's
hands, balls in Fred's hands, go

915
00:57:39,320 --> 00:57:45,360
do something everybody stand around and watch
and actually uses the athleticism and the speed

916
00:57:45,639 --> 00:57:49,559
of guys like prescious to Chew and
Chris Biche, they can actually be really

917
00:57:49,639 --> 00:57:52,960
important to what this team looks like. I take back everything that I say

918
00:57:52,079 --> 00:57:57,280
because I think that, Like,
I think that Preciouses can be one of

919
00:57:57,400 --> 00:58:00,199
Like just his cutting can be phenomenal. He doesn't make those right reads.

920
00:58:00,639 --> 00:58:06,159
Ball movement is going to be really
really important. Just getting other people involved

921
00:58:06,719 --> 00:58:09,360
a lot more something that I think
is what this team is going to come.

922
00:58:09,679 --> 00:58:12,920
But like when it comes down to, like, can they have an

923
00:58:13,000 --> 00:58:16,119
elite or not even an elite but
above average half court offense, I don't

924
00:58:16,159 --> 00:58:20,599
see it. I don't see it
because I think you need pull up shooting.

925
00:58:20,639 --> 00:58:22,079
I think teams just need it.
It's not just catch and shoot guys.

926
00:58:22,119 --> 00:58:25,320
It's not just like the lack of
three point shooters is one thing,

927
00:58:25,440 --> 00:58:31,599
but the lack of a pull up
threat single one is another thing. Like

928
00:58:34,199 --> 00:58:37,679
I think that matters. I think
that matters in terms of team building,

929
00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:44,960
and so I don't expect that they
will be a top fifteen offense, but

930
00:58:45,079 --> 00:58:49,880
I think it's very likely that they
are a top ten and maybe even higher

931
00:58:49,920 --> 00:58:52,480
defense. And your again getting looks
in transition, which is kind of what

932
00:58:52,599 --> 00:58:57,119
this Raptors team has built their bead
and butter on. Outside of Kawhi Leonard,

933
00:58:57,280 --> 00:59:00,480
when was the last time that this
Raptors team was good was a good

934
00:59:00,480 --> 00:59:02,760
half court offense, It's been a
long time. Even when they had Fred

935
00:59:02,840 --> 00:59:07,280
VanVleet and Kyle Lowry, right Like, even when they had both of those

936
00:59:07,280 --> 00:59:10,599
guys, they were still a bad
half court offense team. They just got

937
00:59:10,639 --> 00:59:15,719
a lot of stops and ran out. And that's kind of what this Dactor's

938
00:59:15,760 --> 00:59:20,360
team is built to do. Are
you ready for the cookie cutter portion of

939
00:59:20,440 --> 00:59:27,440
the past. Yeah? Are there
any strengths or weaknesses concerns about this team

940
00:59:27,639 --> 00:59:30,000
that you have that you'll be monitoring
entering this season that we have not talked

941
00:59:30,000 --> 00:59:37,119
about yet? So I can't say
shooting, Okay, you have to preface

942
00:59:37,159 --> 00:59:39,599
anything you say with the father they
have negative spacing, because that is negative

943
00:59:39,639 --> 00:59:45,079
spacing. Can you Yeah, So
some things that I am worried about,

944
00:59:46,360 --> 00:59:50,320
or even if that you're saying,
what's good about this team that we're not

945
00:59:50,400 --> 00:59:52,000
talking of, like anything that we
just haven't hit yet. I'm gonna be

946
00:59:52,119 --> 00:59:55,079
honest. I was really high on
this team last year, and had they

947
00:59:55,159 --> 00:59:59,719
brought Red VanVleet black back, I
would be really high on this team this

948
00:59:59,840 --> 01:00:05,440
year. I can't say I struggle
here. Here's here's what I'll say.

949
01:00:06,400 --> 01:00:09,199
A large part of this season,
as I mentioned comes down to what their

950
01:00:09,239 --> 01:00:14,679
young guys look like. And I
think people are discrediting and discounting how good

951
01:00:15,159 --> 01:00:17,159
those next guys can those guys can
be. And I think people are really

952
01:00:17,199 --> 01:00:22,039
discrediting how good Pascal Siakin can be
if he's not playing forty minutes a night

953
01:00:22,119 --> 01:00:23,599
and not dealing with a groin injury
that he gets early on. So I

954
01:00:23,719 --> 01:00:27,239
think that there's a lot of talent
on this team. Oh, Gianna Noby

955
01:00:27,320 --> 01:00:30,760
is still incredibly talented, and I
think people are just really discounting the amount

956
01:00:30,800 --> 01:00:35,280
of talent that's still left on the
Raptors team. Just because they haven't been

957
01:00:35,320 --> 01:00:38,679
able to make it work doesn't mean
it can't work, and this is still

958
01:00:38,719 --> 01:00:44,920
a really talented roster. I think
what's interesting about you mentioning that is I

959
01:00:44,960 --> 01:00:47,000
don't know if they all compliment one
another, but if you just get better

960
01:00:47,079 --> 01:00:52,119
health from pressures a Chua Otto Porter
Jr. I think you could say there

961
01:00:52,119 --> 01:00:58,559
are but he AT's played still last
year's un like you have eight or nine

962
01:00:58,599 --> 01:01:00,760
guys on this roster that you could
say they belong in an NBA rotation.

963
01:01:01,159 --> 01:01:04,840
I don't know that we've been able
to say that no past two years,

964
01:01:05,039 --> 01:01:10,559
No this is the deepest Raptors team
since before Tampa. Yeah, I think,

965
01:01:10,760 --> 01:01:14,880
yeah, this is this is the
deepest Raptors team since before Tampa.

966
01:01:15,039 --> 01:01:17,880
Yeah, that's a great point.
So to that end, what does the

967
01:01:19,320 --> 01:01:22,280
ten man rotation look like? I
did jot it down. It feels like

968
01:01:22,400 --> 01:01:25,039
there are seven locks, although you're
making me think there might only be six

969
01:01:25,119 --> 01:01:28,760
with what you said about Precious,
but it's like, no, I think

970
01:01:28,800 --> 01:01:31,239
Precious is still I would put Precious
in. I changed my mind once I

971
01:01:31,360 --> 01:01:35,320
realize Precious is my favorite cutter on
this team. I forgot that I love

972
01:01:35,360 --> 01:01:37,800
Precious to chew. It just took
a minute. So I would say they

973
01:01:37,840 --> 01:01:42,760
have seven locks that in Shrewder Barnes
and an Obciakam Pearl, Gary Trent Junior,

974
01:01:42,880 --> 01:01:45,119
and Precious a Chewa. How do
you see it kind of like flushing

975
01:01:45,199 --> 01:01:50,400
out after that because they have again
more options there than they normally would have

976
01:01:50,480 --> 01:01:53,440
after the sixth and seventh guy.
Yeah, Like, so beyond beyond that

977
01:01:53,519 --> 01:01:57,519
top seven, who do I think
makes so? Who did you just mention?

978
01:01:58,679 --> 01:02:01,159
So we have Precious, Gary Tren
Junior, Dennis Shooter, Scottie Barnes,

979
01:02:01,199 --> 01:02:07,719
Pascal Siakambaka, Purdle. I think
Grady Dick definitely slots in some I

980
01:02:07,840 --> 01:02:09,800
think you, I think you have
Grady Dick. I think auto Porter is

981
01:02:09,880 --> 01:02:13,639
necessary. This team needs shooting.
You have a shooter on the roster.

982
01:02:13,800 --> 01:02:16,480
Yes, defense will be a problem, but this team could really use a

983
01:02:16,559 --> 01:02:21,239
guy like auto Porter, So I'd
have him in there. And then Chris

984
01:02:21,280 --> 01:02:24,360
By Andres. We mentioned Prussia's Chris
bus Chris Bouche matters to this team.

985
01:02:24,360 --> 01:02:28,480
He's a veteran presence on this team. He's been with them through a lot,

986
01:02:28,559 --> 01:02:30,039
and he does the dirty work.
He you know, you can play

987
01:02:30,119 --> 01:02:34,920
him at the five as well,
and this team needs a backup center.

988
01:02:35,840 --> 01:02:38,360
Christian Coloco also speaking of a backup
center, was really good for the Raptors

989
01:02:38,440 --> 01:02:42,639
last year. When we're looking at
he's so big, he's so big,

990
01:02:43,119 --> 01:02:45,960
and you know, I think one
of the one of the drawbacks of a

991
01:02:46,000 --> 01:02:52,559
guy that Christian collocos he got really
hit with that rookie whistle and you're hoping

992
01:02:52,639 --> 01:02:54,679
that that can be approved on.
And you're also not needing to rely on

993
01:02:54,800 --> 01:02:59,639
him as much because you have Yaka
Purdle already. But I think Christian Coloco

994
01:03:00,199 --> 01:03:01,800
to play and has to be a
part of this roster because we saw like

995
01:03:01,880 --> 01:03:06,760
the numbers with him at the five
versus him not there. Like the best

996
01:03:06,920 --> 01:03:10,519
Raptors lineup last year was Christian Coloco
at the five along with the four other

997
01:03:10,559 --> 01:03:14,800
starters. That was the best lineup, and I think it was that for

998
01:03:14,920 --> 01:03:16,639
a reason. So I think I
think that this I think this team goes

999
01:03:16,679 --> 01:03:21,880
ten deep, and I think we're
going to see all guys get involved at

1000
01:03:21,880 --> 01:03:23,760
that. Easton I don't I don't
have him in there. But oh Jaylen

1001
01:03:23,800 --> 01:03:25,840
McDaniels, I didn't mention. I
don't think he was a part of that.

1002
01:03:27,079 --> 01:03:30,760
And I think McDaniels gets gets minutes
here as well. Are they still

1003
01:03:30,760 --> 01:03:32,239
a team that you could see And
I think they were one of the teams

1004
01:03:32,280 --> 01:03:36,199
that did this more than other teams, Like they will really pander to like

1005
01:03:36,320 --> 01:03:39,199
the matchups that they're facing on that
particular night with how they're running their rotations.

1006
01:03:40,079 --> 01:03:44,000
Yeah, I think you have to
when you have the limitations that this

1007
01:03:44,119 --> 01:03:49,679
team does. I think that that's
sort of that's where you have to win

1008
01:03:49,800 --> 01:03:52,840
games. I think that's just by
design, that's what this team is going

1009
01:03:52,880 --> 01:03:55,800
to do. Unless they can exact
their sort of sheer force and will on

1010
01:03:55,920 --> 01:03:59,320
teams, which they might be able
to do. But but I think you

1011
01:03:59,360 --> 01:04:02,400
have to play your ups with that
in mind. Knowing they'll play their matchups,

1012
01:04:02,519 --> 01:04:04,800
what do you think they'll will end
up being their best? They're most

1013
01:04:04,840 --> 01:04:09,079
relied upon crunch time unit. Is
it just what we think the starting five

1014
01:04:09,199 --> 01:04:11,119
is? Do we even really know
what the starting five is gonna be?

1015
01:04:11,239 --> 01:04:14,119
So okay to be that? Yeah, it's I don't I don't know that

1016
01:04:14,199 --> 01:04:15,800
there's a definitive starting five. I
think that that's sort of the debate that's

1017
01:04:15,840 --> 01:04:19,159
out there, and I think after
training camp will get a better understanding of

1018
01:04:19,239 --> 01:04:26,480
what that is. I would imagine
that their best five has to include Scottie

1019
01:04:26,559 --> 01:04:33,079
og Pascal from there, I think
I think I think yeah for shooting,

1020
01:04:33,119 --> 01:04:35,519
I think I was gonna say,
I think Dennis and Trent. I think

1021
01:04:35,559 --> 01:04:40,400
we're going to see a lot of
closing lineups that don't have a center in

1022
01:04:40,480 --> 01:04:45,480
them. I at least wouldn't be
surprised by that. Maybe I'm wrong to

1023
01:04:45,559 --> 01:04:47,280
think that, but we saw it
last year. We saw it just be

1024
01:04:47,519 --> 01:04:54,960
incredibly successful against teams, and yeah, I would imagine that you're going to

1025
01:04:55,000 --> 01:04:58,760
get a lot of closing lineups that
don't have a yack of peardle in there.

1026
01:04:58,840 --> 01:05:01,559
But I'd imagine he's art every game
or most games, is there a

1027
01:05:01,920 --> 01:05:06,280
quirky, weirdo unconventional lineup that you
would like to see you and try the

1028
01:05:06,280 --> 01:05:12,960
sequel? Listen. So Vision six
nine is not dead. Vision six nine

1029
01:05:13,039 --> 01:05:15,760
is on life support. But but
I think the entire thing about Vision six

1030
01:05:15,880 --> 01:05:17,599
nine, which is all of your
six nine and guys playing at one time,

1031
01:05:18,039 --> 01:05:21,599
the idea behind it was, this
is a crazy matchup. You throw

1032
01:05:21,679 --> 01:05:25,480
it out there and oh my goodness, team's heads are going to break.

1033
01:05:25,519 --> 01:05:27,920
What do you mean they're one has
to guard O Gian and OPI? What

1034
01:05:27,920 --> 01:05:30,960
do you mean there two or there
one? There are two is going up

1035
01:05:30,960 --> 01:05:32,840
against path kal Yakam, Like what
is what is this lineup? It makes

1036
01:05:32,880 --> 01:05:38,039
absolutely no sense? And you get
to press your advantage as a ton.

1037
01:05:38,480 --> 01:05:42,079
The issue was they were like,
this isn't going to be your wacky lineup

1038
01:05:42,119 --> 01:05:45,599
we throw out. This is gonna
be the whole team. And that's an

1039
01:05:45,639 --> 01:05:48,719
issue like like the idea of like
oh, versatility and you're you're gonna have

1040
01:05:48,840 --> 01:05:51,639
a bunch of guys go out there
that can guard one through five everybody can

1041
01:05:51,679 --> 01:05:56,960
guard one through five or such a
versatile team. That's not what versatility should

1042
01:05:57,039 --> 01:06:00,880
mean. Like there's there's a level
of like malleability to what we're talking about,

1043
01:06:00,920 --> 01:06:03,119
which is we can play big,
we can play small where we can

1044
01:06:03,199 --> 01:06:05,559
play a whole bunch of six nine
guys, And that's not something that the

1045
01:06:05,639 --> 01:06:09,239
Rappers could do. Last year,
they had one look that they can throw

1046
01:06:09,280 --> 01:06:12,719
out at you and that was it, and we saw that there were major

1047
01:06:12,840 --> 01:06:15,480
drawbacks to that. But that doesn't
mean that Vision six nine isn't a fun

1048
01:06:15,559 --> 01:06:18,239
lineup to throw out there and a
good lineup to throw out there. It's

1049
01:06:18,639 --> 01:06:24,400
when that's your only lineup there becomes
major, major problems. So I still

1050
01:06:24,400 --> 01:06:28,599
think the wackiest lineup is the one
that maybe Raptor fans hate right now,

1051
01:06:28,679 --> 01:06:30,639
and they probably hate because like it's
like getting too much of a good thing,

1052
01:06:30,760 --> 01:06:33,400
it becomes gross. After a while, You're like, I don't want

1053
01:06:33,440 --> 01:06:40,239
candy, I want actual dinner.
And now that you have real dinner without

1054
01:06:40,239 --> 01:06:43,800
shooting, maybe you can have some
candy on the side, which is Vision

1055
01:06:43,840 --> 01:06:47,000
six nine. I don't it's weird
because they don't. They're not built to

1056
01:06:47,039 --> 01:06:50,840
have weird on lineups because I think
you can justify any lineup combination they roll

1057
01:06:50,920 --> 01:06:56,119
out there based off the construction of
this roster. I would just like to

1058
01:06:56,199 --> 01:06:59,559
see, like what would it look
like with Scottie Barnes and just our four

1059
01:06:59,599 --> 01:07:04,079
bestters and so that would be trent
O g Grady Dick and then probably Otto

1060
01:07:04,159 --> 01:07:08,519
Porter Junior, like would be like
plus Scotty Barnes, Like can we just

1061
01:07:08,599 --> 01:07:10,360
see that? Like, can we
just see you with that line up?

1062
01:07:10,519 --> 01:07:13,960
I think that that. I think
that the Raptor should definitely throw a lot

1063
01:07:14,000 --> 01:07:17,239
of that. I think you definitely. I think that Scotty was shooters,

1064
01:07:17,280 --> 01:07:20,199
Pascal was shooters. Those are definitely
things that we should see for sure.

1065
01:07:21,159 --> 01:07:26,039
I wonder about that one though,
could we get different like who is it

1066
01:07:26,119 --> 01:07:30,199
Gary Buche in there instead of like
Otto Porter? If you're like but just

1067
01:07:30,559 --> 01:07:32,199
I'm just like give me this were
you mentioned autos? Like, oh,

1068
01:07:32,360 --> 01:07:35,599
defensively, that will be a interesting
line up to throw out there, especially

1069
01:07:35,639 --> 01:07:39,199
because like you want to get out
there and just like run with a team

1070
01:07:39,280 --> 01:07:43,920
like that. It has no shot
blocking really whatsoever that line up. So

1071
01:07:45,119 --> 01:07:48,119
I just give me, I just
want to see sty but give me the

1072
01:07:48,239 --> 01:07:50,760
four best shooters on the team play. I would love that. I think

1073
01:07:50,800 --> 01:07:55,000
that that would be a lot of
fun. Also, like get Pascal and

1074
01:07:55,079 --> 01:07:58,599
Scotty in there with three other shooters
often let's see what that looks like,

1075
01:07:59,360 --> 01:08:03,039
which again ends up just being Pascal, Oji and Scotty. So we're not

1076
01:08:03,119 --> 01:08:06,239
doing anything. We're not doing anything
interesting with the lineup like that. Yeah,

1077
01:08:06,360 --> 01:08:09,719
like that, that's what's the problem
with this. It's just like they're

1078
01:08:09,719 --> 01:08:14,880
not really built to Like Vision six
nine is almost like made them too sensible.

1079
01:08:14,960 --> 01:08:18,199
When you're looking at the lineup,
combinations like crazy, they have to

1080
01:08:18,279 --> 01:08:19,840
do this, they have to do
that, and that and that. So

1081
01:08:21,199 --> 01:08:25,039
yeah, it's like it's like someone
who's been walking on their hands their whole

1082
01:08:25,079 --> 01:08:27,880
life and then you finally see them
walk with their feet, but they're walking

1083
01:08:27,880 --> 01:08:30,119
backwards. You're like, yeah,
it's close enough, you know, like

1084
01:08:30,239 --> 01:08:33,439
they got the direction right at least. But I think I think with like

1085
01:08:34,319 --> 01:08:36,720
even the idea of just Scotty and
a bunch of shooters, which I like,

1086
01:08:36,840 --> 01:08:41,399
I like that idea, how long
are you running with a guy like

1087
01:08:41,439 --> 01:08:45,159
that? Like, just I worry
about what that sort of looks like when

1088
01:08:45,199 --> 01:08:46,920
it's like, all right, so
Auto's in there, and you don't have

1089
01:08:47,119 --> 01:08:50,840
a guy like Yakub or a guy
like Pascal in there, the defense is

1090
01:08:50,880 --> 01:08:54,439
not going to be all that great. There's just a lot of issues.

1091
01:08:55,159 --> 01:08:59,159
Get better shooters, get more shooters. Please, let's start to go fund

1092
01:08:59,199 --> 01:09:00,840
me or bring game. That's the
train that I'm on right now. I'm

1093
01:09:00,880 --> 01:09:04,319
so sorry in Miami because that would
be perfect. That would be perfect.

1094
01:09:04,760 --> 01:09:08,239
I remember you wrote I think it
was you that wrote about this. It

1095
01:09:08,359 --> 01:09:10,760
was like very earlier in the off
season. I feel like, yeah,

1096
01:09:12,520 --> 01:09:15,439
I am on board. Were you
mentioned in there? You didn't phrase like

1097
01:09:15,520 --> 01:09:17,720
this, but like team not and
there's only one team on there, but

1098
01:09:17,880 --> 01:09:21,359
team come out of the woodwork and
acquire Damian Lillard. Give me. I

1099
01:09:21,439 --> 01:09:25,640
got in trouble with Okac thunder fans
by saying they should trade for him.

1100
01:09:26,840 --> 01:09:30,279
Would love him. I would love
him in Toronto, I would love him

1101
01:09:30,319 --> 01:09:36,199
in New Orleans. I mean it
would be so good in Orlando or Magic

1102
01:09:36,279 --> 01:09:40,920
fans were mad when I suggested that, because like you guys, and I

1103
01:09:41,079 --> 01:09:44,560
love that you guys are mad because
I want to have him. So if

1104
01:09:44,640 --> 01:09:47,680
my only competition is Miami, I
think we still will lose. But like

1105
01:09:47,840 --> 01:09:50,920
I can feel a little bit more
hopeful then like, oh, they have

1106
01:09:51,000 --> 01:09:56,479
an offer that can trump Oars.
There would also just be something so it

1107
01:09:56,520 --> 01:09:59,720
would be like a poetic justice of
sending Damian Lillard to the other Florida.

1108
01:09:59,800 --> 01:10:03,720
The Where'd be so funny. That'd
be so funny. It'd be so funny.

1109
01:10:04,000 --> 01:10:09,039
I'm with you, please Canada,
Canada. Like, that's what I

1110
01:10:09,279 --> 01:10:12,920
think the Raptors should just rebrand themselves, is like, oh, your superstar

1111
01:10:13,039 --> 01:10:15,600
wants out, Let's send him to
Narnia or the closest thing, which is

1112
01:10:15,640 --> 01:10:19,119
Canada, and then just like banish
them, Like let us be the team

1113
01:10:19,239 --> 01:10:24,039
that you banish your stars too,
because they're misbehaving on your team. Kawhi,

1114
01:10:24,159 --> 01:10:28,039
it worked, Dame, let it
happen, Jannis come through. I

1115
01:10:28,119 --> 01:10:30,920
think that that's what the Raptors should
reband themselves as that would be hysterical.

1116
01:10:31,439 --> 01:10:34,840
Is this team is fascinating in the
sense that because of everything you were just

1117
01:10:34,960 --> 01:10:40,279
talking about, it feels like the
early portion of the season could very much

1118
01:10:40,359 --> 01:10:43,880
dictate like what like the first twenty
games, if they're playing really well,

1119
01:10:44,159 --> 01:10:46,119
do they become a team that really
ven does go on the trade market to

1120
01:10:46,199 --> 01:10:49,359
look for shooting or if they're playing
really poorly, is it well, maybe

1121
01:10:49,399 --> 01:10:53,119
we start looking at Pascal trades again
or og trades, or is it,

1122
01:10:53,319 --> 01:10:56,960
oh, we're playing poorly, we
need to double down and acquires like they

1123
01:10:56,960 --> 01:10:59,800
did with Yaka Parton, like we're
gonna try and acquire shooting. Do you

1124
01:11:00,000 --> 01:11:01,600
agree that? Like they're fascinating in
that sense where it feels like they have

1125
01:11:02,119 --> 01:11:06,560
a bunch of different like mid season
swing points that could sort of just based

1126
01:11:06,600 --> 01:11:10,520
off the first twenty games or so
I could kind of determine how they're acting

1127
01:11:10,720 --> 01:11:14,640
from their transactionally. Yeah, for
sure. I mean last season, at

1128
01:11:14,680 --> 01:11:15,880
around December, I'm like, okay, I've seen enough. You need to

1129
01:11:15,880 --> 01:11:19,960
get Yaka Purdle. And I was
like, kem Birch and this pick for

1130
01:11:20,039 --> 01:11:23,880
Yaka Purdle. Now, MISSI,
who's much smarter than me and gets paid

1131
01:11:23,920 --> 01:11:25,760
the big bucks, was like,
not this bit, because that's gonna be

1132
01:11:25,760 --> 01:11:29,600
a lottery pick. Let's do next
year's pick. And it happened, and

1133
01:11:29,680 --> 01:11:30,880
I was like finally, and everyone
was like what are they doing? What

1134
01:11:30,960 --> 01:11:33,399
direction are they taking? And I'm
like, no, guys, you don't

1135
01:11:33,479 --> 01:11:36,640
understand. This is the issue.
This is what they're missing. They need

1136
01:11:36,720 --> 01:11:42,600
it. And it worked. And
my logic and my reasoning behind that was

1137
01:11:43,239 --> 01:11:46,319
when you had Demarta Rosen and Kyle
Lowry, what the Raptors did was they

1138
01:11:46,520 --> 01:11:49,600
brought in a bunch of different guys. You're in and you're out to try

1139
01:11:49,680 --> 01:11:54,039
to mask the deficiencies of a guy
like Dmarta Rosen, for example, right

1140
01:11:54,159 --> 01:11:57,560
like, he can't he's not a
he can't guard and he can't shoot.

1141
01:11:58,199 --> 01:12:00,560
Okay, let's bring in a three
and D you Wing and Mary Carroll.

1142
01:12:00,720 --> 01:12:01,760
Let's bring in PJ. Tucker,
who can space the floor at the four.

1143
01:12:01,840 --> 01:12:04,960
Let's bring in Sergyback who can space
the floor at the floor. It

1144
01:12:05,199 --> 01:12:09,399
was urine and you're out, just
trying to mask the deficiencies to try and

1145
01:12:09,439 --> 01:12:12,720
build the best roster that you had. Now, they didn't have multiple years

1146
01:12:12,760 --> 01:12:16,319
to do that with this core.
They had one trade deadline, and the

1147
01:12:16,399 --> 01:12:19,760
deficiency that they had was at the
five. We saw that that was the

1148
01:12:19,800 --> 01:12:23,640
biggest issue, and so to me, it was like, Okay, if

1149
01:12:23,680 --> 01:12:26,279
you want to bet on this team, if you want to bet on Fred

1150
01:12:26,359 --> 01:12:29,479
van Vliet, Pascal Siaka Mojan and
Nobe, Scottie Barnes, Garrett Nching,

1151
01:12:29,520 --> 01:12:31,880
you the whole lot if you want
to bet on them put them in a

1152
01:12:31,960 --> 01:12:35,479
position to actually win. And to
do that, I think you needed shooting

1153
01:12:35,560 --> 01:12:38,920
and you needed a floor spacer.
They didn't get the shooting, but they

1154
01:12:38,920 --> 01:12:43,199
got not the floor spacer and they
got the room protector. And so to

1155
01:12:43,319 --> 01:12:45,560
me, it was like, this
is the deal that you have to make

1156
01:12:45,600 --> 01:12:47,359
to try and see what this team
looks like. And we saw it.

1157
01:12:47,560 --> 01:12:51,800
And by the numbers, the starting
lineup was really good and they were top

1158
01:12:51,840 --> 01:12:57,800
five net rating after Yaka Purtle came
in. Their bench was just I think

1159
01:12:57,840 --> 01:13:00,720
far and away the worst in the
league. By the numbers there. You

1160
01:13:00,720 --> 01:13:02,039
could look it up, but I'm
pretty sure the bench was dead last and

1161
01:13:02,239 --> 01:13:08,840
the starters were top five in that
rating. And so it's like you saw

1162
01:13:08,920 --> 01:13:11,560
what they could be in order to
buy into this team. And I think

1163
01:13:11,600 --> 01:13:15,800
for this season how it changes is, yes, you need to see what

1164
01:13:15,880 --> 01:13:18,520
this team looks like before you decide. Again, if Pascal is going to

1165
01:13:18,560 --> 01:13:24,720
be your guy moving forward, If
OG like what that sort of looks like,

1166
01:13:24,880 --> 01:13:28,039
can you build around an OG and
a Scotty timeline? Do the pieces

1167
01:13:28,079 --> 01:13:30,840
make sense together? I think you
need to sort of work that out.

1168
01:13:30,119 --> 01:13:34,159
As I mentioned, I think the
start of the season is really looking at

1169
01:13:34,319 --> 01:13:38,720
what Scotty Barnes looks like and what
the next step for him is. Is

1170
01:13:38,760 --> 01:13:41,399
he a win now player? Because
then in that case, why are you

1171
01:13:41,560 --> 01:13:47,239
trading Pascal Siakam. You might as
well keep them or not. But because

1172
01:13:47,479 --> 01:13:53,319
both Og and Pascal are potential expirings, you have to make that decision pretty

1173
01:13:53,359 --> 01:13:55,920
quickly. I don't think you can
wait as long as the Raptors did last

1174
01:13:55,920 --> 01:13:59,239
season by waiting all the way until
the deadline and then pri Emily it is

1175
01:13:59,239 --> 01:14:00,720
gone. I think they has to
come a little bit sooner. So I

1176
01:14:00,800 --> 01:14:05,000
think the early part of the season
matters way more now because they just saw

1177
01:14:05,079 --> 01:14:09,600
what happened last season. But I
still think again, you gotta make moves

1178
01:14:09,640 --> 01:14:13,359
to see what this team looks like, and if they can't be maximized and

1179
01:14:13,399 --> 01:14:15,319
it doesn't work like it didn't with
Tomorrow after years and years and years,

1180
01:14:15,520 --> 01:14:19,399
then okay, it's time to trade
that player. As we record this on

1181
01:14:19,600 --> 01:14:24,760
September nineteenth, their win total is
set at thirty six point five, which

1182
01:14:24,840 --> 01:14:28,279
is ten wins fewer than last year. I don't I haven't looked, but

1183
01:14:28,359 --> 01:14:30,840
aside from the Wizards, that has
to be the biggest drop in win productions

1184
01:14:30,880 --> 01:14:34,039
with me, my guests, Are
you taking the over the under on that?

1185
01:14:34,760 --> 01:14:38,520
Yeah, I think that over and
under was really set because no one

1186
01:14:38,600 --> 01:14:41,680
knows if they're going to make him
in season trade right, So we could

1187
01:14:41,720 --> 01:14:45,199
be talking about a team that doesn't
have a Pascal Siakam on it because I

1188
01:14:45,239 --> 01:14:51,439
don't know they traded him for Kobe
Buffin and Bogdan Bogdanovic. So I think

1189
01:14:51,439 --> 01:14:56,279
it really just depends on do I
think this team will stay together, because

1190
01:14:56,279 --> 01:14:59,039
I think if they stay together,
they should be over thirty six wins.

1191
01:15:00,359 --> 01:15:02,359
And I'm gonna say, yeah,
I think that Pascal Siakam is a raptor

1192
01:15:02,399 --> 01:15:05,920
by the end of the season,
I would probably we haven't done or over

1193
01:15:06,039 --> 01:15:09,840
under someone reveal, but I will
say I agree with you, just because

1194
01:15:09,880 --> 01:15:14,239
I think it's more likely that and
so much can happen. I think it's

1195
01:15:14,239 --> 01:15:17,359
more likely that they triple down on
the trade market again than they become these

1196
01:15:17,439 --> 01:15:20,920
just sellers because they can't make I
would just be flapp or gased if they

1197
01:15:20,960 --> 01:15:25,319
make the same mistake with Red van
Fleet that they did with Sia, like

1198
01:15:25,840 --> 01:15:29,479
if they would both Siakim and Ananobe. I'm not saying they extensions because I

1199
01:15:29,479 --> 01:15:32,680
don't think's gonna sign an extension,
but I think him, I just don't

1200
01:15:32,680 --> 01:15:34,760
think they're gonna be traded at least, and so I think that's why that

1201
01:15:34,800 --> 01:15:38,880
total seems a little bit lower.
And I also would expect that because of

1202
01:15:38,920 --> 01:15:41,640
the nature of keeping them, you
almost have to make a move on the

1203
01:15:41,680 --> 01:15:45,520
trade market because you don't want to
like let this season go to waste when

1204
01:15:45,600 --> 01:15:48,760
stuff could happen and we don't have
a pick. Yeah, that's a great

1205
01:15:48,800 --> 01:15:51,520
point, but you could be like
the fifth worst team in basketball. And

1206
01:15:51,960 --> 01:15:56,199
that's true, that is true,
but please don't have a pick this season.

1207
01:15:56,560 --> 01:15:59,199
And I will say, and I'm
not sure if this you know,

1208
01:15:59,359 --> 01:16:01,920
a team like the Pacers and like
other teams where the East is so wide

1209
01:16:01,920 --> 01:16:05,720
open, does it benefit or hurt
the Raptors there, because I think with

1210
01:16:06,000 --> 01:16:10,640
if you're being like, let's be
real, there's the Calves. I don't

1211
01:16:10,720 --> 01:16:15,239
love Boston after their Porzingis trade,
But there's Boston and there's Milwaukee. I

1212
01:16:15,279 --> 01:16:18,159
think are the three teams that you
could say, Okay, they're better than

1213
01:16:18,199 --> 01:16:21,319
everyone else. And then I don't
know what's going on in Philly with Harden

1214
01:16:21,720 --> 01:16:25,600
Dame's not in Miami just yet,
and so even if you want to throw

1215
01:16:25,640 --> 01:16:28,000
okay, Dame's gonna go to Miami, we'll throw them there. Like,

1216
01:16:28,159 --> 01:16:31,680
that's four teams that you could say
are better than that kind of morass of

1217
01:16:31,960 --> 01:16:34,760
teams below them, where it's okay, I could see the Knicks being fifth,

1218
01:16:34,800 --> 01:16:38,199
but I could see the Raptors,
or I could see the Pacers,

1219
01:16:38,279 --> 01:16:42,640
I could see the Hawks being there. Does that help or hurt the Raptors?

1220
01:16:42,680 --> 01:16:45,520
Do you think that relative wide openness
in the let's call it the like

1221
01:16:45,760 --> 01:16:48,199
middle, the meat and potatoes of
the East. I think I think it

1222
01:16:48,600 --> 01:16:56,119
has historically helped, because we saw
this a decade ago when you have the

1223
01:16:56,199 --> 01:17:00,560
sort of Heatles dismantling and the Pacers
trade did Granger, and for some reason,

1224
01:17:00,640 --> 01:17:05,199
that team just could after that.
But so I think we saw miss

1225
01:17:05,239 --> 01:17:08,479
I be like, okay, yeah, the East is wide open, even

1226
01:17:08,520 --> 01:17:12,199
though we have this very middling team, let's double down on this. And

1227
01:17:12,439 --> 01:17:15,119
that's what they did, right,
So, because the East was wide open

1228
01:17:15,239 --> 01:17:17,119
and it wasn't a particularly good team, they just happened to trade away Rudy

1229
01:17:17,199 --> 01:17:23,479
Gay and suddenly they decided to start
winning basketball games. But so I think

1230
01:17:23,479 --> 01:17:28,479
we've seen Massi sort of take that
approach in a wide open East before,

1231
01:17:28,640 --> 01:17:30,960
and it made the Raptors the winningest
team in the Eastern Conference in the decade,

1232
01:17:32,000 --> 01:17:35,560
mainly because the East was wide open
when they decided to take that step.

1233
01:17:35,840 --> 01:17:39,520
So it wouldn't surprise me if that's
the thing that's done now, except

1234
01:17:39,560 --> 01:17:42,600
the difference would be they have a
Scottie Barnes who's like a twenty one year

1235
01:17:42,640 --> 01:17:45,199
old that they can build around versus
or twenty two year old. I don't

1236
01:17:45,239 --> 01:17:48,479
hold years versus at that time to
Marv was a little bit older. Kyle

1237
01:17:48,560 --> 01:17:50,239
had just kind of came in and
he was, you know, in his

1238
01:17:50,319 --> 01:17:54,840
late twenties, so it's a little
bit different. But to me, it's

1239
01:17:54,840 --> 01:17:57,960
just like what we've seen Missi Jerry
do in the past. Is that.

1240
01:17:58,479 --> 01:18:00,600
I mean, even when he was
in Denver, it was like, no,

1241
01:18:00,720 --> 01:18:01,880
we're not gonna tank, We're going
to trade away our superstar to get

1242
01:18:01,920 --> 01:18:05,199
pieces back and continue to win.
And they won what like fifty seven games

1243
01:18:05,239 --> 01:18:10,000
that year after trading Carmelo. So
what we've seen from the Saia gear is

1244
01:18:10,039 --> 01:18:14,479
a reluctancy to go towards the bottom
and build up from the middle and if

1245
01:18:14,520 --> 01:18:16,319
he sees a wide open path and
he's like, why can't our team be

1246
01:18:16,439 --> 01:18:18,680
at the top of that, which
is exactly what happened to Denver when he

1247
01:18:18,760 --> 01:18:20,840
was there, and what happened to
the Raptors. So, like, I

1248
01:18:20,880 --> 01:18:24,920
don't know, his track record says
the last two times he's been in this

1249
01:18:25,000 --> 01:18:28,800
situation, he went on to win
because he thought, Hey, it's open,

1250
01:18:28,840 --> 01:18:32,239
why not? But I don't know. That's a great point after eighty

1251
01:18:32,279 --> 01:18:35,720
minutes about is there anything that we
haven't Sorry I talked about it, asked

1252
01:18:35,760 --> 01:18:40,960
you about that we haven't needs to
be touched upon. Yeah, no,

1253
01:18:41,199 --> 01:18:44,199
I mean the Raptors needs shooting.
Isn't that what this comes down to?

1254
01:18:44,479 --> 01:18:47,640
Oh, we didn't mention that.
I can't wieve we've gotten this long without

1255
01:18:47,680 --> 01:18:50,439
talking about the lack of, you
know, a pull up threat on the

1256
01:18:50,520 --> 01:18:55,640
team catch and shoot guys. But
but in all seriousness, I think Pascal

1257
01:18:55,760 --> 01:18:58,279
can really take that next step.
I think Scottie can take that next step

1258
01:18:58,359 --> 01:19:00,079
even in terms of their shooting,
and maybe get some more of that from

1259
01:19:00,319 --> 01:19:06,079
from Ogi. Maybe maybe stuff is
teaching og the the secrets to being the

1260
01:19:06,239 --> 01:19:10,960
deadliest pull up shooter in up from
the just off a half court. Oh

1261
01:19:11,000 --> 01:19:13,880
my gosh, can imagine the first
possession and just like oh she wouldn't.

1262
01:19:13,880 --> 01:19:20,600
Oh oh wait what contract? Rog's
on some stuff like I'm honor you able

1263
01:19:20,640 --> 01:19:24,520
to tell our listeners where they can
find you in all the great work that

1264
01:19:24,600 --> 01:19:27,479
you do. Yeah, you can
buy me on Twitter as long as it

1265
01:19:27,600 --> 01:19:32,159
exists. Have him on underscore Adam
also, please do check out pros and

1266
01:19:32,279 --> 01:19:36,600
clause to sub sack. And I'm
hoping to have that Chris Paul Golden Fate

1267
01:19:36,640 --> 01:19:40,840
Warriors piece coming out soon and we'll
be talking a lot of raptors on there

1268
01:19:40,840 --> 01:19:43,840
as well. And then of course
I'm with Yeah Sports Canada, you're gonna

1269
01:19:43,840 --> 01:19:46,760
see a lot of video essays this
year pod but yeah, a lot of

1270
01:19:46,880 --> 01:19:53,199
in some shorts too, because the
kids, their attention spans not a look.

1271
01:19:53,920 --> 01:20:00,279
We have built a YouTube and TikTok
following based off stuff that has nothing

1272
01:20:00,359 --> 01:20:02,840
to do with the podcast we are
actually recording. They're just me and my

1273
01:20:02,920 --> 01:20:06,880
co hosts like yelling two word answers
at each other because that's the content that

1274
01:20:06,960 --> 01:20:10,880
gets shared, and that's the content
people like I'm here. I'm here for

1275
01:20:10,960 --> 01:20:15,239
the I'm here was King, Hey, I'm on. Thank you so much

1276
01:20:15,239 --> 01:20:16,800
for coming on. It always means
a lot when we can get veteran guests

1277
01:20:16,800 --> 01:20:19,000
they keep agreeing to come back,
and you are one of them at this

1278
01:20:19,079 --> 01:20:23,439
point, so I very much appreciate
it. Your time. You're insighting sure,

1279
01:20:23,439 --> 01:20:25,920
as you know by now, I'll
be pesturing you again in the future.

1280
01:20:26,000 --> 01:20:28,880
So thanks so much. Oh Willy, it's better things to talk about

1281
01:20:28,960 --> 01:20:30,800
that time. Maybe all of like, maybe we just reverse chinks it.

1282
01:20:31,079 --> 01:20:33,760
Last year we were way too high
on them. This year, it's not

1283
01:20:33,960 --> 01:20:38,600
they're bad crap. The next time
we talk, we'll probably talk about their

1284
01:20:38,640 --> 01:20:45,079
excess at shooting. They have too
much that the content we did that too much shooting